MINI USA’s Exclusive GP Delivery Program

Ouch – $2000!!! But the schedule of events on the West Coast sounds awesome (East Coast – not so much).

Why does it suprize people that BMW/MINI would not be giving away the delivery program at Monterey? Maybe if they set the cost of the car at $35,000 folks would expect more (and pay less) for this delivery program. But for a person living on the west coast, buying from a mid-west or eastern dealer at MSRP (Some CA dealers are marking up the car at $5,000 over) it’s not a bad deal.

In my case, it’s a no-brainer, since transportation from the midwest to CA will cost $1,500 anyway (for an enclosed transporter); and the hotel and tickets are worth at least $500! (The Hyatt only has unbooked rooms available at $340 a night now, since the Historics is the busiest weekend on the Peninsula. Hotels.com rate is $165 a nite otherwise; tickets to the Historics for Sat-Sun are $95 each, advance sale…and this doesn’t include any food; and the Concours tickets are $150 each advance, $175 day of show. At worst this is worth $165 x 4 + 190 + 300 = $1,150, and that’s not counting the 4+ meals they’re providing. So, if you use these numbers, th transportation is costing about $850, which is a bargain with diesel fuel at $3.00 plus a gallon.

I cancelled my GP order over this delivery. Very cheap of BMW/MINIUSA to charge the car buyers for their own publicity stunt.

I would not expect to be treated to the whole trip, but I did expect some compensation for allowing my new car to be oogled by the masses. The $2,000 only covers the 4 days in Monterey, I also would have to pay for airfare to CA and all expenses on the return trip.

What I had expected was for MINIUSA to pay for airfare to CA, a welcome night dinner, and first night in a hotel. But to have no expenses paid and no discounts either is galling.

Tacky tacky MINIUSA.

It’s going to be interesting to see how many folks embrace this event from a wallet standpoint.

I’ve always seen the typical MINI target demographic as one of modest income leaving the Bimmers and such for the rich kids. Not that $2000 is a lot of cash to spend for an event such as this and being an enthusiast, I totally want to go to.

Affording it (money and time), however, is another issue.

But I’m not getting GP, so what am I worried about.

AprilWhine,

I’m pretty sure you can still pick up a GP at the dealer, you’ll just have to wait an extra month or so. As mentioned above, participation in this event is limited to one car per dealership. There will be 450(?) JCW GP’s delivered to the US and only 45 can participate in the West Coast event. MINI/BMW certainly isn’t forcing anyone to spend $2000 (or even $800) + transportation to pick up their GP. It’s an opportunity for some owners to do something cool & fun with their MINI.

Ok, a GP buyer doesn’t have to take part in this program. The Monterey pick-up is only offered to 45 buyers and the NJ pick-up to 35 buyers. You can still wait for your new GP to show up at the dealer for no additional charge – but you’ll have to wait another month. The price is completely reasonable considering what’s provided and that both the Monterey Historics and the Concours d’Elegance are two of the most prestigious automotive events around. I’m not familiar with the Limerock event and I’m more of a left coaster myself so while the $800 price tag for the NJ pick up is appealing I’m shooting for Monterey.

As a GP buyer I’m jumping at the cahnce to pony up an extra $2,000 plus expensses to get to Monterey and expenses to drive back halfway across the country. Maybe it’s just me but the MINI experience is just that – an experience. It’s not just a car or just a possession. It’s an experience and very few experiences like this are free or cheap. For me it will, potentially, add to the mystique of my particular car.

It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and for a MINI vacation the price seems right but that’s just me. I know a lot of people will disagree and that’s fine.

Jersey City?? $800? Yikes. Now if they were paying $800 to go to Jersey City–maybe. Just joking. I love Bon Jovi and THE BOSS.

90 mph for 1250 mph)

Any word on delivery options for other parts of the world?

without including all the food you’re likely to get for free.

And drinks!!!!

awaiting moderation question:

Is there a list of things I shouldn’t write to get “awaiting moderation” status on my comments? I don’t want to offend folks.

I’m not sure I see the big deal in them charging for this. Think of it as a $2k option for those that want to go, if you’re offended to pay the $2k for it, then you don’t go and you don’t pay. Otherwise if they gave it away “standard” with the GP, then everyone would end up paying regardless of if they would go or not. This way, if you want a GP and don’t go to the events you get a helluva deal on a sweet MINI.

Even if they did pay for a small portion of the costs, you don’t think they wouldn’t have figured that into the cost of the GP itself?

I know I’m just repeating what many others have said, but just trying to get my vote in too…

Ah, yes. Beautiful Jersey City, what a unique location to draw Mini owners from all over the East coast to! What the heck were they thinking when they chose it? Nothing like taking your new car out on the Pulaski Skyway…

Tacky tacky MINIUSA.

I’m at an absolute loss here. How is any of this tacky? Judging by normal lodging costs near Monterey CA (especially at this time) and the other expenses associated with the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and the Monterey Historics, I would call these costs very reasonable. And why would you not order a car based on an opporunity to take a trip like this? MINI USA os offering this opporunity to would be owners. They’re not forcing it on anyone.

The costs are reasonable. That is not the point. It is tacky because it is not a class act. It would be much classier to charge a few dollars more for each car and do the PR event for free. The next thing we will see is BMW charging $1.00 for window stickers that say “I HAVE A BITCHIN MINI”

Oops, Gabe beat me to it. :-)

people in here complain to much, How many of you who are complaining are going to take delivery of a gp car? I think the gp car should be bright yellow and it should be free, but i an not going to buy one so it does not matter. Look out your window, there is a world out there passing you by.

bob

I don’t understand the cheap complainers who fault MINI for giving a select few a very special and rare oportunity to experience the whole Pebble Beach weekend. It is an exclusive social for the rich and well connected in the classic car circles. To give GP buyers the chance to experience is a real treat.

If I ever had the oppotunity to get buy a trip to the Pebble Beach weekend for 2K, I’d jump at it.

Webster’s dictionary defines tacky as “marked by lack of style or good taste” IMO it would be much more tasteful for MINI to either pay for the event by other means or donate the proceeds to charity. In the past MINI’s pr methods have been a class act. Examples include a full tank of gas at delivery and the cool welcome kit. I may be wrong but IMO it seems that the whole GP thing is a way for MINI to squeeze a few extra bucks out of the outgoing model. This dissapoints me because I spend many hours every week promoting the MINI. I have a 2005 MCS, am active in my local club,and have convinced three friends to buy MINIs. I am 51 years old, have owned many cars including muscle cars, a Mercedes and a zillion BMWs. The MINI, by far, is the best car that I have ever owned. I guess I hold MINI to a higher standard.

MINI doesn’t need the GP to sell more cars. To some degree it doesn’t matter how many are even produced. The mere fact that MINI made a limited production performance oriented factory offering is the important component of the GP. MINI could fill those 2000 build slots with other (non-GP) MINIs. They’d still sell with no problem.

As I said above, the GP is here to help combat the perception that MINIs are “cute.” If that cute label goes unchecked, then male buyers will start to look elsewhere (insert all of the “is the MINI a chick car?” banter here).

MINI does a lot of things to play down the cuteness. They have a contingency program to encourage a select group of nationally competitive drivers to select MINIs to compete in. As with the GP, it’s not so important that a lot of MINI owners actually race, what is important is that there are nationally competitive MINIs to be photographed racing. The same goes for the NAMCC.

MINI also plays down the cute angle in more subtle ways. Ever notice how you rarely if ever see a woman driving a MINI in a MINI advertisement or catalog? Men are pictured prominently. They are clearly trying to play down the impact of the “chick car” label.

Like it or not, women will buy cars with a more male demographic, but men will avoid cars with a perception that the majority of buyers are women.

The GP is just one of many ways MINI is trying to help shape their brand image. It’s not being made to simply sell more R53 MCS’s. MINIUSA has to be concerned whether or not the market will respond as strongly once more cars become available with the R56. They can’t risk alienating a sizeable chunk of prospective buyers by having the MINI go the way of the New Beetle.

Very well said – I stand corrected

What will happen to buyers who want to go but don’t get in because they were #2 on the list? Will they get any special feel-good treatment, or be just another punter driving off of the dealer lot later in the year?

Sensitive chap that I am, I might feel a bit peeved that I didn’t get the same special treatment as other owners.