MINI Rear Camera Review

nrkist Mar 29th, 2005 Link

Clearly you have way too much time (and money) on your hands. ;)

AlanL Mar 29th, 2005 Link

Wow, that’s really amazing. I for one, am happy with my rear parking sensors, but this would really give me the confidence to park in really tight spots. It would be great if there was a version that could interface with a video head unit like the Pioneer nav system, since I don’t have the MINI nav system. I just had to have the big speedo!

Mark Mar 29th, 2005 Link

Why do you need such a silly expensive item on this small of a car? Spend the money on “GO FAST” items. Oh-well, it’s your money.

Gabe Mar 29th, 2005 Link

I for one think this is totally sweet. If I had Nav and some extra cash laying around I’d be all over it.

And let’s not judge someone else’s mods based on your opinions. There are just as many people who feel “go fast” mods are “silly”.

Michael Burchill Mar 29th, 2005 Link

With all do respect, Mr. Lanier (author of above referenced article) doesn’t know what he’s talking about… Hasn’t he ever seen a dyno chart?

David Bunting Mar 29th, 2005 Link

It’s nice to see an original modification to a MINI that is cleanly integrated. Good work!

Mike Mar 29th, 2005 Link

Hi All,

No worries about the bashing that’s going to take place on this one as I knew it was coming. :-)

While I don’t feel the need to justify my purchase of the rear-view camera to anyone (except for maybe my wife), I can tell you why I did it. I purchased my first 2005 MINI with a JCW kit (i.e. with the “GO FAST” items you all seem to want me to spend my money on instead) and it turned out to be a lemon and only lasted 168 miles (it was a serious piece of junk that nearly turned me off of MINI’s & BMW’s for good, but that’s a whole other story). MINI/BMW ended up buying the car back from us and getting us a replacement MINI (six months later). While I really liked the 210 HP JCW kit, I felt that (for me anyway) it was just a bit too over priced for what you receive, and so for the replacement MINI, I decided to take the aftermarket route for my “GO FAST” items instead (19% pulley, GIAC ECU Flash, 380CC Injectors, Milltek Exhaust, and CAI). Since the aftermarket items were less than a third of the price of the original JCW kit, I had some extra money to spend on the replacement car. I ended up buying a suspension kit for it and the rear-view camera too (and still didn’t come close to spending the price of the original JCW kit).

I was really considering the Parking Distance Control when I ordered the car, but I decided on the rear-view camera instead (since I’ve always been a “gadget” guy). I’ll be the first to admit that it’s over priced, but you only live once and you can’t take your money with you when you’re gone. Thus, I splurged and bought the camera. If folks can’t deal with that, then I’m sorry. No one’s twisting their arm to read this article nor participate in the comments section. :-P

I’m really happy with the rear-view camera. The more I use it, the more I grow to like it. The MINI may be a small car, but it never hurts to have a better rear-view in any car (large or small). I only wish that MINI would price it more reasonably and make it available as a factory installed option (as the installation is easy, but quite involved and so it will lead to price gouging by the dealers if they leave it as a dealer installed item).

Gabe Mar 29th, 2005 Link

FYI - for those looking to justify the price of the rear camera or parking sensors consider this. It only takes one mistake backing at 5mph up to make either worth the money.

Mike Mar 29th, 2005 Link

The view from the MINI rear-view camera is amazing… The image is crisp and clear and it shows the rear bumper in the picture (as you can see from the above photo). This allows you to quite literally back the car up to within less than an inch of a wall, another car, a sign post, etc. In fact, the view from the camera is so good (i.e. it’s a nice wide angle view) that I can pretty much drive the car in reverse just by looking at the nav screen (although I won’t be making that a habit [GRIN]). It’s pretty darn cool!

Frank Mar 29th, 2005 Link

Mike, extra visibility when backing up in tight spaces never hurts. The rear view camera affords an extra safety of margin that I think is more effective than the PDC sensors. Kids, pets and obstacles are not easily visible from the driver’s seat.

Kudos for this cool mod. It seems to me you are the only US MINI owner with it enabled.

I think the rear camera will be most useful in the convertible model, where rear visibility is extremely tricky, specially with the top up.

Going back to your lemon MCS, I am curious to know what happened? Do you think the dealer installed JCW kit was a contributor in the early demise of the car? Dealer error?

Anyhow, I am happy to hear you have comeback to the MINI family and wish you the best of luck with your new car.

lurch70 Mar 29th, 2005 Link

Nice toy, but I see it as completely useless as well.

Personally in the 2 years I had my MINI I never accidentally even bumped into another parked car or did not notice anyone behind me.

And I live in NYC.

Mike Mar 29th, 2005 Link

Thanks for all of the great comments guys. Good or bad, I can take it. You won’t hurt my MINI’s feelings. :-)

Hi Frank,

I really don’t want to drag this thread off topic with the problems I had with my lemon MINI. I can tell you that it had nothing to do with the JCW kit that was installed on the car (I actually loved the kit as it was a real kick. The power was very strong and super smooth. MINI/JCW has done an outstanding job with it and so you definitely won’t hear any JCW-bashing coming from me.). Suffice it to say that MINI/BMW and our dealership treated us right and everything worked out in the end. If you’d like to know any more details, then please feel to send me an e-mail.

GSKChicago Mar 29th, 2005 Link

As a self proclaimed gadget guy myself, quite a few gadgets are generally useless in mostly everyone’s eyes except the owner of said gadget.

I think Mike’s mod is cool. If I had skill beyond changing a light bulb, I may pop for the mod myself. But, alas, I’m lucky I can even change light bulbs. :o) So no back up camera for me. I certainly don’t fault someone for their own taste in gadgets, useless or not.

Enjoy it Mike!

Damon Mar 29th, 2005 Link

That looks like it should be on the convertible where you can’t see anything. Nifty gadget.

Mark Mar 29th, 2005 Link

Mike, not poking fun of your mod, if you like it, that is all that matters, it is your car and money, you can do what you want, that is the beauty of mods. Have fun with it.

mataku Mar 29th, 2005 Link

I don’t see how this is being bashed. This is much cooler than the PDC and although quite a bit more, I’d say it’s worth the extra.

The only thing is, I never really have problems of fitting in spaces, but I never get myself in too tight because i’m afraid of people hitting me! Except for a few times. If you were able to somehow hook this thing up to something that could record the videos, I think it would be a VERY worthwhile investment.

chrisfb1 Mar 29th, 2005 Link

i am really interested to find out that how the whole kit connect to the NAV.
I am not gonna get one, but i would like to use part of the kit and turn the NAV into a TV with input sockets. NAVTV charge way too much for the kit, it should not be that much at all.

just some thoughts. maybe i can buy a webcam later to plug into the NAV when the TV project work out.

Marty Mar 29th, 2005 Link

Mike,

Could you comment on the difference in performance between the JCW and your aftermarket components?

I’ve heard that the JCW kit doesen’t really pack THAT much of a punch- especially for the money, even the 210 HP kit.

And on the other hand I can see that a 17% pulley will add almost 20 HP, for example, for a lot less money. What is the performance of your Mini now?

Cheers, Marty

petsounds Mar 29th, 2005 Link

I’m with Gabe on this. It’s a great mod, although I would be more wary than you of cutting into the MINI with a Dremel! I’m blown away at how clear the image is on the nav screen! If only I had a nav system I’d do it in a heartbeat.

I think eventually (probably 5-10 years) every car will come with this as at least an option, and standard on luxury cars. It does so much for safety, and especially as our U.S. population continues to grey, we will need to provide features that make it easier for those in that generation to drive with confidence.

I am really surprised at the negative posts on this mod. WTF? The MINI is all about making your car yours, not forcing your own ideas of what’s cool on other people.

GBMiniGirl Mar 29th, 2005 Link

I think it’s a great mod that I’d love to have! Anyone that thinks differently doesn’t have small kids. They love to park their bikes, tricycles and toy cars in the driveway, just like mom and dad…and usually behind your car. You don’t think to look until you hear “thud” or “crunch.”

Glassintrepid Mar 29th, 2005 Link

It simply amazes me about why people are bashing you on this. I saw this mod a few months ago and thought it was really cool. I would get it if i had the money and nav. Isnt this is what this website is about? Giving info on MINI vehicles for all to read, and comment. I guess everyone has there own opinions.

Mike Mar 29th, 2005 Link

Mark,

No problem at all. Thanks for the comment. I respect the fact that the mod isn’t for everyone. That’s what makes the MINI so great. i.e. there’s something for just about everyone! [grin]

Mike Mar 29th, 2005 Link

chrisfb1,

I’m not exactly sure on how the electronics of the kit works. However, there is a wiring diagram in the installation PDF that might help you out. If I had to guess, I’d say that the key is the additional switchbox kit as that’s the part that allows the different video signals to be feed into the nav computer. Thus, you might just be able to purchase the additional switchbox kit and then use it to wire a DVD/TV signal into the NAV screen.

Mike Mar 29th, 2005 Link

[I'm with Gabe on this. It's a great mod, although I would be more wary than you of cutting into the MINI with a Dremel! I'm blown away at how clear the image is on the nav screen! If only I had a nav system I'd do it in a heartbeat.]

petsounds,

The beauty of the OEM MINI kit is that you don’t have to hack up your car in order to install it. You don’t have to cut a single wire in the factory wiring harness anywhere in the car. It’s all pug-n-play.

As for using the Dremel tool… It’s not that big of a deal as you are only cutting a very small bit out of the existing handle strip on the car. If you happened to mess it up for some reason (which I doubt you ever would), you can always just buy another one for fairly cheap. Folks buy them all of the time to exchange them for the chrome ones, etc. It’s just a small plastic part of the car that bolts right onto the rear hatch with four small screws.

Lastly, if you think the clarity of the screen in the picture is good, you should see it in real life. It’s fantastic! [GRIN]

Mike Mar 29th, 2005 Link

Marty,

This is waaay off topic, so I’ll try and keep it brief…

I’m a HUGE fan of the 210 HP JCW kit. While I only got to experience the kit on my original car for a short while, I can tell you first hand that it was a real hoot to drive. It packed some serious punch. I’m not sure if its low end power was due to the new lower gearing in the 05’s, or if I just got a really fast MINI, but that car was a real monster off the line. If I switched off the DSC, the car had so much low end torque that it would easily smoke the tires all the way through fourth gear. I was absolutely amazed at how smooth the motor was and how strong it felt on the low end. The only problem I had with the kit is that the car really needed a limited slip differential with it installed. Otherwise, it was difficult to drive the car hard (and it would run the DSC computer ragged as the tires were constantly spinning).

With the replacement car (as I already mentioned), I went the aftermarket route instead (and got the factory installed LSD as well). I’ve heard a lot of good things about the 19% reduction pulley, larger injectors, and the GIAC ECU Flash, and so that’s what I decided to install. The mods aren’t quite finished and I haven’t put a lot of miles on the pulley yet, but so far, I have to say that my initial impressions are that I’m a bit disappointed. The low end torque and the smoothness of the JCW kit was impressive to say the least, and so far, the aftermarket stuff just isn’t living up to my expectations here (again, I’m not finished with the mods yet and so it’s not really a fair comparison - please read on for the info…).

The first thing I did to my new car is install the JCW airbox. I absolutely love this airbox and I wouldn’t trade it for any other CAI currently on the market. The thing is so refined and well integrated. The sound it makes above 4,500 RPM is positively addicting. I love the fact that the car sounds completely normal when cruising on the freeway and at low RPMs, and then really comes to life (and starts to scream/wine) as the RPMs rise above 4,500. It’s very sweet!

Next came the Milltek cat-back exhaust system. This is also an amazing mod that’s worth every penny in my opinion. It sounds so much better than the stock exhaust system and the JCW exhaust system as well. I was really disappointed by the JCW exhaust as it was so quiet that you could hardly tell it was even there (it was actually quite a bit quieter than the stock 05 exhaust system). I don’t like loud obnoxious exhausts, but I wanted the car to at least have a better (more pronounced) sound and that’s exactly what the Milltek does/did. It’s very well put together too (fit and finish wise). It fits the car beautifully (no modifications are needed anywhere) and it has the same great looking slash-cut tips as the JCW exhaust.

Next came the 19% pulley. I installed the pulley myself, and I was really surprised to find that the car was very sluggish at low RPMs and had very poor throttle response after installing it (it actually bogs like crazy off the line). It’s even causing the car to ping really bad between 2.5k and 3.5k RPM. However, after 5k RPM or so, the thing really starts to scream and the car definitely “feels” faster than the JCW car on the high end. I really like the low end power and smoothness of the JCW car though as the low end is where most of your daily driving is done (there’s power no matter what gear you’re in). This is why I say that I’m a bit disappointed in the 19% pulley so far.

However, in all fairness to the 19%, I’ve yet to drive it with the larger injectors and the GIAC ECU installed (and so it’s really not a fair comparison at all). I’ve since installed the larger injectors in the car, but I’m currently waiting for my re-programmed ECU to be delivered tomorrow. If the larger injectors and the GIAC flash correct the low end (and pinging) problems I’m having, then I’d say that the aftermarket mods would be the way to go (for me anyway). At this point, I think that it will be hard to match the low end torque and smoothness of the JCW kit. I’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

I’ll let you know more tomorrow. [GRIN]

KE3VP Mar 29th, 2005 Link

Thanks for your review, Mike. I’ve also noted that the view to the rear in my wife’s 2003 Cooper is a bit limited at times.
If I understand correctly, the camera is mounted outside the rear window in the boot handle strip. Does this cause any problems with rain, road grime, etc. covering the lense?
Any chance of a picture of the rear of the car with the camera?
Thanks for the article and enjoy your MCS. I hope to order mine around the first of the year with the PDC sensors.
Bob

allan MICHAEL Mar 29th, 2005 Link

About Mike:

Clearly you have way too much time (and money) on your hands. ;)

Mike Mar 29th, 2005 Link

Bob,

[If I understand correctly, the camera is mounted outside the rear window in the boot handle strip.]

Yes, that’s correct.

[Does this cause any problems with rain, road grime, etc. covering the lense?]

To tell you the truth, I haven’t had it installed long enough to find out. However, the camera is said to have a self-cleaning lens, although I have no idea what that means (as it doesn’t have a mini wiper on it or anything like that [GRIN]).

[Any chance of a picture of the rear of the car with the camera?]

I believe that the fouth picture in the “You can see more of the installation in these pics:” section of the article above shows just that. However, here’s a couple more that show a different view:

Rear View (Close)

Rear View (Far)

Rodney Mar 30th, 2005 Link

I’m actually surprised at all the fuss. The MINI is very much a gadget lover’s car. It’s the main reason I bought it. I don’t have NAV but you can bet my next MINI will have NAV and the rear view camera. I come from a Miata so speed is obviously not necessary for me. I wanted a car that cornered on rails and had lots of gadgets. I guess you have to be a gadget junky to understand… Now how do I interface my new PSP to the MINI… :)

Thanks for the write up Mike you can bet I’ll be using them!

Bill Lawrence Mar 30th, 2005 Link

That would be a cool gadget for hot rods. I always though it would be fun if someone created a MINI hot rod with no mirrors, chopped roof, etc. The rear camera would be a good thing for someone that did that.

I’ve see MINI headlights on hot rod show cars, here is another part you can use from the MINI.

Boyd Coddington, Chip Foose are you listening.

Thanks Mike for sharing that with us. The MINI is about crativity and fun with your car.

Mike Mar 30th, 2005 Link

Hi All,

Okay, this is a bit off topic again, but I just have to jump in and clear things up with my aftermarket vs. JCW mods info.

I just received back my ECU this morning reprogrammed with the GIAC flash that was made specifically for the 19% reduction pulley and the larger (380 CC) fuel injectors, and all I can say is WOW! The car is fantastic now. I’ve only put about 50 miles on it so far, but the bogginess is completely gone (as is the pinging) and the car is back to being buttery smooth again. I can’t believe how wild the car is above 4,500 RPM now. It’s scary FAST! (almost too fast if there is such a thing [grin]). What a difference the larger injectors and GIAC flash made for the 19% pulley.

The car now has plenty of low end torque (below 4,000 RPM), but I’d still have to give the edge in this area (and in overall smoothness) to the 210 HP JCW kit. However, above 4,000 RPM there’s just no comparison and the 19%/JCW Injectors/GIAC combo wins hands down. I can’t believe how impressed I am with the car right now. It’s so quick that I’m definitely reaching the limitations of the stock suspension (and brakes). I can’t wait to install the suspension kit and 22mm rear sway bar and see what happens next.

To end… I’ll just say that both of the cars (JCW and aftermarket) have their strong points. You decide which one’s best for you. I doubt that you’ll be disappointed with either of them. I’m certainly not! [GRIN]

MiniMonkey Mar 30th, 2005 Link

Mike, that was an interesting article. Thank you. I had a rear camera years ago on a RV… it’s fun at a stop light to see what the people in the car behind you are doing. I’m guessing that the nay sayers are people with Nav envy. They don’t have the Nav disply, but they secretly wish they did. Anyway thanks for info. Oh, FYI - I have a Nav system… and love it.

nervous Mar 30th, 2005 Link

I am sooo jealous. Mike, you are totally cool. Thanks for sharing!

Marty Mar 31st, 2005 Link

CANADIAN NEWS ABOUT THE REAR VIEW CAMERA

I was at the Calgary Mini dealership the other day, and I picked up an accessories catalog while I was there (even though I can afford anything at the moment, but you know how it is)

The news is that in Canada the camera is offered through your local Mini Dealership and is quite easy to get. When I get home from the mountains I’ll post the description that is written in the catalog

Cheers, Marty

ps. Mike thanks for the review on the aftermarket stuff, maybe Ill think twice now.

Mike Mar 31st, 2005 Link

Marty,

That’s great news! Maybe you can post some prices for the part numbers (i.e. 66 21 0 392 370, 66 21 0 392 371 & 66 21 0 303 085) as it could be significantly cheaper for folks in the U.S. to buy it from a Canadian-based MINI dealer instead of from one in Germany, the U.K., etc.

Randolph Lee Apr 3rd, 2005 Link

Any update on how it fairs with road dirt? my hatch gets dirty about 10 miles after I wash it… woul id be posable to wire in a switch so you could use it on demand as well as when you are in reverse?

Mike Apr 3rd, 2005 Link

Hi Randolph,

So far I can’t tell any appreciable difference in the view of the camera when the car is clean or dirty. Thus, it looks like it’s fairing quite well. The camera is tucked up under the handle strip pretty good and so it appears to be shielded well from a lot of the really bad dirt.

As for wiring a switch to the rear-view camera… The rear-view camera (as I’ve mentioned before) turns on and off automatically when you put the MINI into/out of reverse. However, you could easily hook up an external button/switch allowing you to turn on the rear-view camera on-demand if you wanted to do so. The switch wire for activating the camera simply senses positive voltage going to one of the reverse lights in the car. All you would need to do is extend that wire up to the front of the car and then send a 12v signal to it via a switch. No problem at all.

I hope this helps some…

Paul Apr 22nd, 2005 Link

Mike, You might be able to get this in the USA now.

Patrick MINI in the Chicago area had a demo MINI with the camera installed. Date was around late Feb 2005 or early March.

I remember backing up out of the parking lot and seeing a rain covered rear view image on the nav screen :)

lastrega May 10th, 2005 Link

Mike,
Thank you for the details and the much needed clarification about the camera. Since I am planning to attend the MINI UNITED in MISANO Italy
(Oct. 2005) I will probably buy two (two convertibles in the house.)

I was against the parking sensors but I am glad that my little one has them, although the MINI is small top down or top up is almost impossible to see and once the car is dented is dented for good. I don’t see this as an extravaganza but more as a protection for my investment.

1FSTMINI May 24th, 2005 Link

Yes, the front/rear camera is available in the US and i havent had anyone ask me for it nor for any info. Im not flaming anyone with PDC or the cameras but , if you cant tell how far away you are to a car (especially in a Mini being so small n stubby) i cant see hitting a car in either direction being i never came close in any car ive owned which were bigger at times than the Mini. But thats me!

Mike (The Office Maven) Aug 22nd, 2005 Link

1FSTMINI,

All I can tell you is that you’ll never know what you’re missing until you actually drive a MINI with a rear-view camera installed for a while.

There’s a night and day difference between backing my car up and backing up my wife’s (which doesn’t have the camera).

I’ll admit that it sounds silly to have a rear-view camera in such a small car like the MINI, but the difference it makes really is quite amazing. :-)

TerryNYC Sep 2nd, 2005 Link

While I understand and think I agree with the value proposition of a rear camera I am mystified by the purpose and benefits of a forward camera. Would someone tell me why this s desirable. Seriously and with thanks. TerryNYC

Mike (The Office Maven) Sep 5th, 2005 Link

I couldn’t justify the front-view camera either. It looks cool with the split screen and all, but I doubt that we’d ever see much use for it here in the States.

I believe that the reason for its existence is to provide a better side (left & right) view when approaching an intersection in the very small and tight European city streets.

If you creep your front end into the intersection, the front-view camera will allow you to see if anything is coming long before you would be able to see left or right with your own eyes.

Again though, we generally don’t have this problem in the States since our street intersections are much larger.

Mike (The Office Maven) Sep 19th, 2005 Link

Hi All,

It has recently come to my attention (thanks Richard!) that the German dealership mentioned in my write-up is no longer in business. Also, as of today, it appears that the rear-view camera retrofit kits are still not available from MINI dealerships in the U.S. (although I thought that someone had recently mentioned to me that they were???).

However, it now appears that good ol MikeyTheMini of NewMiniStuff.com has stepped up to the plate for us all and is now offering the rear-view camera retrofit kits (66 21 0 392 370), the required additional switchbox kits (66 21 0 303 085), and the optional split screen front-view camera retrofit kits (66 21 0 392 371) for sale (note that you only need to buy one of the switchbox kits even if you want to use both the rear-view and the front-view cameras). Way to go Mikey!

The camera kits aren’t currently listed on Mikey’s web site, but you can send him an e-mail message requesting details on how to order one (his e-mail address is listed on his web site). I’m not 100% sure of the pricing, but I think that they are around £270 (~ U.S. $500) for the rear-view camera, £115 (~ U.S. $215) for the switchbox, and £360 (~ U.S. $675) for the optional split screen front-view camera. Note that you do not have to pay and VAT if Mikey sends the camera kit to you in the U.S.

The camera kits are also available in Canada (direct from the Canadian MINI dealerships), but are probably a bit more expensive due to the Canadian import duty fees. I don’t know for sure though.

I just thought that I’d let everyone know just in case they’re interested.

– MIKE

Mike (The Office Maven) Sep 19th, 2005 Link

Oops! My bad.

The camera kit is indeed listed on Mikey’s web site right here:

Reversing camera for factroy nav - genuine Mini

Enjoy…

John Sep 24th, 2005 Link

Mike-

Do you know if the Canadian dealers will do an install on the camera for US cars? I’m only a few hours from the Canadian border and would be interested in the camera if they would do the install, as I would be the last person you want tearing up the inside of a MINI. I would have sooooo many extra parts lying around after putting the car back together incorrectly.

Mike (The Office Maven) Sep 24th, 2005 Link

Hi John,

Since the Canadian dealerships sell the rear-view camera retrofit kits in-house, I’m more than sure that they can install it for you too (BTW, there’s no difference between a Canadian MINI and a US one so that won’t matter).

However, be ready for a HUGE shock when you get the bill! I believe that it takes anywhere from 4 to 7 hours to install the camera and, at dealer labor rates, that’s going to hurt for sure. You’ll probably end up paying as much in labor as you will for the camera kit itself.

It’s too bad that you’re so far away from me as I’d be happy to do the install for you for a much more reasonable price than any dealer would/could charge.

I hope this helps some…

jeff Sep 29th, 2005 Link

it looks as if the camera is mounted just a touch off of center…if so, how come?

Dean Cory Oct 6th, 2005 Link

AWESOME. Too bad I found the install PDF on gomotoring.com after I ordered my MINI. Maybe I could find a wrecked MINI with OEM Nav and retrofit it in? Then add the cam.

Another idea would be rear view video for a DVD of say the Tail of the Dragon!

Gabe Oct 6th, 2005 Link

AWESOME. Too bad I found the install PDF on gomotoring.com after I ordered my MINI. Maybe I could find a wrecked MINI with OEM Nav and retrofit it in? Then add the cam.

Just to clarify, the install PDF was originally posted on MotoringFile over a year ago: Official MINI Rear Camera Retrofit Kit

Richard Oct 6th, 2005 Link

I ordered and received the OEM rear camera from MikeyTheMini of http://www.NewMiniStuff.com. It shipped a couple of days after I placed the order, and arrived about a week later. The cost was £269.09 rear camera, £114.89 switchbox and £14 shipping. My credit card company billed me for a total of US$ 728.13 (this will vary according to the exchange rate). I had previously checked on Canadian prices and the total would have been over US$ 1100 (Canadian import duties probably accounting for some of the higher price).

Mikey had to order it from Germany, and it included instructions only in German. Luckily the English PDF is here on MotoringFile. My 2006 MCC is arriving in a week and it might be another couple of weeks before I install it.

it looks as if the camera is mounted just a touch off of center…if so, how come?

Jeff, I think it’s because the camera shares the boot handle with the boot release button, and that’s just how they fit both in.

swhobbit Mar 12th, 2006 Link

Anyone who laughs at the rear view camara has never driven a MINI Cooper rag top. There’s a reason they throw in the backup sensors for free.

Pity it’s too expensive for my taste.

-ahd-

Robcerno Mar 14th, 2006 Link

Richard - be sure to post how it went for you. I have a MCSC coming in next week that I want to drop the camera in and would love to hear any tips or advice you have for the installation.

rkw Aug 13th, 2006 Link

Robcerno, sorry I hadn’t been following these comments (I posted as Richard above, now using my NAM handle rkw). The rear-view camera is a very valuable mod for the convertible. More information about installation can be found here:
http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53297

Paula Feb 19th, 2007 Link

I purchased the reverse camera that is made into a chrome license plate frame. Now what do I do? Please help…. I know i need some kind of module.

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