Drove up from Austin to Arlington yesterday to pick up the car, and went through a really bad dust storm getting there, and picked up the car while the dust storm was still going on.

So, it's already filthy.

Got back tonight, but no pics yet, that'll have to wait. I'm going to be doing a side-by-side with our R50 next weekend, with some interesting comparisons unseen anywhere else, for what I hope will be the best apples-to-oranges comparison yet.

No difficulties in the transaction, everything was there except the center radio ****, which was remedied by pulling the **** off a demo car. Tires mounted correctly, everything in place -- except the driving lights.

It's the first order Moritz had for driving lights and they went to install them and realized it also requires a grill replacement, so I'm going to have to make a second trip up there for that. Drag is, their service department is only open M-F which means taking time off from work. (Hey wait, that's not a bad thing!)

A few quick comments (positive and negative):

• I got a wave on Berry St. in Fort Worth today. Due to the ongoing discussions here, my brain immediately started its own flame war as to whether the waver was either accepting of the R56 or just too distracted to recognize the difference and throw me the finger instead.
• THE ANTENNA USES A DIFFERENT THREAD PATTERN! I had bought an OutMotoring antenna to use, but the bolt on the new antenna is wider and coarser. No big deal, I put the antenna on the R50 as it looks better than the stubby we had there. But this is important -- the current crop of stubbies will not work.
• BLUETOOTH WON'T WORK WITH MY NOKIA PHONE! (at least so far) Yeah, I know my phone isn't on the list (Nokia 6682) but it can't find the phone. I need to try it one more time with the phone in the armrest/console (which is just as flimsy as it is in the 2005/2006 models)
• I fit fine. The lounge leather sport seats are very comfortable and supportive, and my 6'2" portly frame fits fine.
• Yes, sport mode is a Good Thing. The throttle is more responsive and the steering gets firmer -- more weighted-feeling. But no, I don't think it's necessary to keep it on all the time.
• No, there's no jack on the MCS. This even surprised my MA.
• The ride, compared to an R50 with sport suspension and 16" runflats, is a bit softer, but "soft" is the wrong word. It's just not as bone-jarringly harsh.
• In 6th gear, there's enough oomph available for gentle passing.
• I got the chrome exhaust tips, which are different from the stock tips. I'll post photos eventually.

 

Congrats! Im waiting for my DS/B Cooper S that arrives in 2 weeks [lands in NY tomrrow]

 

On the Bluetooth Pairing - did you make sure your phone is in the discoverable mode? If not it won't detect it. I have a Nokia 6103 and I had to make my phone discoverable before it found it.

 

Congrats on your delivery! I look forward to seeing pics. DS/B with lounge leather sounds very nice! Just curious; did your car come with a functioning upper dash storage bin?

Cheers and happy motoring!
Ryan

 

Yeah, made sure of that. Tried putting it in the "console" too. (Calling the armrest a "console" is like calling my back pocket a backpack.) It just won't find the phone. I'll give the phone a good charge, reboot it, and try again. I'd love to find a phone that's on the list so I can verify that the BT bits in the car are working.

The piano black dash and cream white color line give it a very elegant look, if I do say so.

No, it's locked shut.

 

Hey, me and Uncle John were at Moritz yesterday morning!!! We missed the dust storm, too....that was really weird, wasn't it? Congrats on your new MINI!!!

 

Driving up, south of Hillsboro, there was only maybe 50-foot visibility for a while. Sad, because I'd gotten the 4Runner detailed before I signed it over to my mom.

If you saw a DS/B with a "sold" sign in the middle of the showroom, that was mine!

 

Congratulations, Dwdyer--another new one on the road. Looking forward to the pics!

Re the jack, I have one. It wasn't delivered with one, but some of the other cars for the dealership were, and I got one of theirs. Push for one and I'll bet you'll get somewhere (hopefully good!). I think MINI will have to reconsider this if it's a cost-cutting move.

 

Congrats with your new car! Post some pics

 

dwdyer, when did you order yours, beacuse people are saying its when you ordered it if you get the nifty little box, above the glove box. I think there saying after december.

 

Not necessarily, thlaxx. I drove a dealer demo MCa that had it. Probably an early December order (or earlier). The word I got was that some slipped through the line, but all have it and it's locked shut while a fix to rattles was sought. Hopefully we'll all get ours, because it's a neat addition!

 

Was at Moritz on Saturday.. were you that young guy sitting at Ernestines desk around 12:30-1:30pmish?

 

Ahhh so theres no real knowing untill it comes! The COop S in the showroom, had it, yet the one i test drove didnt.....ugh....2 more weeks to find out if i have it!!

 

No, I showed up almost right at 2PM on the dot, and stood mostly. Sounds like we just missed each other!

 

I ordered in late December, week 3 production.

 

Can't wait to see pics! Hopefully we will cross paths some day here in Austin .


By the way, let me know if you ever need someone to come by and make the new MINI nice and shiney . I do detailing work here in Austin...

 

Yea soon as I got in I was thinking.. "Maybe I will see dwdyer"

Hopefully you got to meet the other MA's

 

Congrates DWDYER!!!
happy motorin'

 

Oh wow, The Wife and I were at Moritz on Saturday as well. Between 11:30 and 1-ish. Ernestine and one of the sales managers (can't remember his name....Brian?) was helping me as well.

I was the tall lanky guy with the gray beard and longish hair doing test drives.

 

When ever I read that someone has taken delivery of their new 07 I start to get this itch. My wife pours cold water on it, but it comes back really quick!!! Enjoy your new ride and hope to see pics soon.


06MCS/DS/B

 

Congrats dwdyer! Im looking forward to seeing pics!

 

I guess this is another example of the dealers not being on the same page as MINI. I'd tried to order the tips and my dealer wouldn't let me. He said they came with the car at n/c. I pointed out they they were listed on the configurator as an option, but that didn't change things.

Can't wait to see pictures. Congratulations. I wish you many miles of happy motoring.

dean.

 

Either that or I got burned.

I'm not sure I'm completely fond of them, they're not quite ricer tips, but they look a little like they're from a Tonka.

 

They definitely come with big fat chrome tips. Two of them on ours.

My daughter pointed down at them and said "Dad! Two engines!"

I said "I know!"

 

I think $$-wise, they're probably not worth it. But I do think they are bigger and different. Here's a crappy photo from my phone (night mode, with flash, resized down which helps with the clarity -- enhancement just made it look more like crap )



Here's a photo from Flickr from a JCW-aero-equipped R56 at a car show, enhanced to show detail -- these are the same tips. But they're not like the JCW tips of yore.




And here's a photo (also shamelessly snagged from Flickr and enhanced) of the stock R56 MCS tips to show that the stock tips are maybe a little smaller, but smooth. They don't have the contours that these have. (Yes, the full photo reveals an R56.)