I found this to be a thoroughly enjoyable clip. A couple of months dated, but I hadn't yet seen it posted on these boards, so here you go. Apologies if it's already made the rounds:



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(If you're wondering why a hardtop guy is posting in this forum, I'll let you know in about seven weeks... )

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Love the video.... Makes me want to go out and buy one today!

 

Funny, that's the video that pretty much did make me go and order one.

 

You're choice is sweet... Love the color combination, especially the toffy interior ..

 

Really enjoyed that. It is the intangibles that make these cars so endearing. Congrats on the new order


-Steven

 

Nice video.

Congrats on the order jacksongls. Hopefully I will get to see it on one of my many trips to Austin or on a hill country drive.

 

Big thanks everyone, summoning every ounce of patience that I have. Would be awesome to meet up for a hill country cruise sometime II King.

 

Thanks for the video!! I never saw that one, great review. "They did a bloody good job of putting this car together, it feels like a BMW, well it is a BMW." I will take a R59 interior over my friend's 3 series interior any day.

Oh and congrats on your soon to be new R59!

 

Good to hear, that there isn't a quality drop off going from a BMW to a Mini Roadster. Some have suggested otherwise, since I am thinking about trading my 135i for the Mini. My question is this: I know BMW owns Mini Cooper, but what does the Mini have that is BMW, the engine, transmission, etc. ???

 

To be precise, Mini went out of business and the last one was produced in 2000. The current MINI is a BMW, designed and engineered from the ground up by BMW.

BMW didn't buy the car so much as it bought the name. From 2002 on it has been a BMW made in England (and now also in Austria) -- in Europe (listen carefully to the video clip) it is even referred to as a "BMW MINI".

Now, I don't know how many, if any parts are "interchangeable" -- the key fobs look to be the same but beyond that I really don't know. Here is my opinion -- in 2002 BMW began producing the MINI as a cheap commuter car and over the past decade have transitioned it into a small, affordable (no longer "cheap") sports car. The Coupe and Roadster are evidence of the transition.

No offense to R56 owners.

 

(If you're wondering why a hardtop guy is posting in this forum, I'll let you know in about seven weeks... ) Wow, can't wait

 

Guess the cat's out of the bag now. You and Daryl are the only locals who know, although he didn't need to employ your level of investigative sleuthing.

 

Not to get too off topic but I would imagine there are quite a few interchangeable parts... from spending time in my friend's 3 series and my R59:

Radio display the same
seat belt components the same
various suspension components are both marked BMW and look the same

But the biggest DIFFERENCE would be at my dealer where the BMW side is full of suits, coffee machines, and soft music... walk through an opening in the middle of the building and you enter a room with racing flags, racing memorabilia, and the walls lined with flat panel displays showing MINIs on the track.

 

Just checked the BMWCCA website , hoping that there would be some link to Mini, considering that Roundel has featured the Mini roadster, and that there is a BMW affiliation. Nope.... I assume I won't be able to get a rebate / discount on a new Mini, even though I've been a member for over 8 years...

 

Thanks so much for the video! I thought that review was bang on - just what we have experienced with ours.

We traded an '07 Cooper S and the Roadster is much better than that car and way more fun to drive. It handles better and the ride is quite a bit better. The top is great and the exhaust is really fun. When we had the car in for some customize work, they gave us a new S Cooper to drive and it really wasn't my imagination - the Roadster is that much better.

We entered the car in a British only car show last weekend there was a lot of interest. We could have stood around all day and just chat and answer questions about the car - we pretty much did! I think the Dealers could have sold a few right there.

Thanks again and congrats!

Franny

 

Of course over here in Yurp we get an engine that you guys don't, the SD 2-litre diesel that I have in my Roadster and that is a 100% complete BMW engine - nothing to do with Mini except the badge on the rocker cover.