Hey Aston1, If that is the case, can you explain the text that I quoted from the following Bulletin number that was sent to all dealerships back in mid December 2008? Are you indicating that MiniUSA made an error, or was this information not to be distributed outside of the Mini dealership channel? Either way, while Mini has not officially announced anything, they do make reference to it in atleast one dealer bulletin as listed below.Bulletin# : PB 12-17-08

 

I'm looking for it in dealerspeed (MINI/BMW's internal messaging/tracking system) and its not showing up for me, and I'm looking back through November. Anything from there is obviously for dealer use only, but I would mention it if I could find it, although I can't disclose some of the things said. Can you PM me the link to it and I can check into it? I just got off the phone with our district manager (to confirm my tour date) and asked her, and she said she hasn't been told about it. Let me know if you can, so I can let others know. Thanks

 

I don't have a link to the actual bulletin, only a photocopy provided by the dealer when I placed my R57 S Convertible a few weeks ago. I'll try and take a digital picture of the bulletin and send it your way (I don't have access to a scanner). It's on the same bulletin that describes the new rims for the R57 (the ones on the press picture with the Interchange Yellow). In that same bulletin, then have the two sentences that I mentioned above about the JCW version - basically coming soon in April).

 

Supposedly there is a Factory JCW. I read through a dealership sheet and it says JCW information coming soon...

That's what I'm waiting on....-taps foot impatiently-

 

I called MINI USA and they do not know of a JCW factory MINI, the only time there was mention of it was that one article that was reproduced on sevral web sites. If I read between the lines of the dealership info I can interpret two ways. 1. The origional codes and price sheet did not have any JCW parts on it. The configurator allows JCW parts. So the memo may mean to say the info for the JCW tuning kit, brakes, etc. It could also mean a factory JCW. No one in Mini is fessing up.

 

With the usual options and tax a JCW Cabrio would be about 45k. That would make it compete with the 1 Series Cabrio, so they may call it a day and just do the MC and MCS I bet.

 

I placed my order for Simone on Thursday. Holy Crap....39K for all the stuff I want. I have been playing with the configurator for 2 years, building and rebuilding the car of my dreams and it has always been WAY less than 40K. Now they took cool stuff out of the packages (what do you mean they took sport suspension out of the sport package on the S cooper?) and jacked up the prices. Do they not know how bad the economy is??
And yes, I realize that some idiot ( like me) will still pay for it. Especially if that idiot has been dreaming and saving for more than 2 years.

 

Congrats on your order!
When I configured my "dream" car (waited for over a year) and when it finally got to the day of ordering, yes my price was about $5000 higher then I expected, but hey I will have this car for a very very long time and there isn't a day that goes by i'm not smiling while driving, and never once have I said, wish I would have ordered that (because I did)
you will enjoy your car!!

 

I ordered mine with JCW items. Tuning Kit, Brakes, and Brace as well as the Aero kit. Can anyone confirm that these will be available at launch as Motoring File posted an article about the tuning kit for the clubman and mentioned it will not be available for the R57 right "Look for the later option to make it’s way to the R57 Convertible in the second half of the year. The main hold-up on the tuning kit will be the addition of a slightly redesigned exhaust needed wrap around the Convertible’s extra bracing."
http://www.motoringfile.com/2009/02/...-kit-aero-kit/

They also posted that the JCW Cabrio will makes it debut in Geneva in March.
http://www.motoringfile.com/2009/01/...ble-at-geneva/
So one would think they have engineered the car already which would include the exhaust issue.

 

So when I placed my order in the system back in Januar, the Convenience Package was not available, so I ordered the individual options in there seperately. Yesterday I noticed that it is NOW available, so I had the dealer update my order. Just wanted to mention this incase others have to do the same.