http://www.mini.com/com/en/general/contact/index.jsp

so ill just say this everyone who wants to say something to MINI e-mail them and send letters (ill put the e-mail list when i get to a pc) its prob to late to handle the current car but just tell them that we dont apreciate the lack of value or their ability to adress either the base model needed for the enthusiasts or the customozations neccasary to satisfy us (would make alot more sense for my responce that was deleted)

Already have started the ball rolling for another car that comes closer to the build that I am looking for.

Gabe, do you have any info on when the deadline for ordering the current convertible is? Gotta grab a “old school” JCW before they’re gone. Please let us know when you know.

Leave aftermarket tuning to aftermarket companies who specialize in performance! MINI is/was trying too hard to control the performance sector for their cars, or perhaps just capitalize on the JCW name, and now they have gotten it wrong (to some degree). That’s what manufacturers do.

Manufacturers build for the masses. The problem is, you can’t usually get the type of performance that the hard-core enthusiasts seek and remain cost efficient enough to offer the finished product to the average consumer at what they perceive as a reasonable price.

Give me a base car and let me utilize aftermarket companies and their wares and I’ll beat a factory tuned car any day! And, so will most go-fast fans. The only benefit to the MINI/JCW marriage is the manufacturers warranty. If you are going to race and thrash your car anyway, who cares? You better have deep pockets…

‘JFS’, CLEARLY understands the logic, as do several others, that what I have presented cannot be argued LOGICALLY without a foundation of maximum profit as the reason for half-assing this car.

‘Alan Smithee’, it is “out of the park” because of the money BMW makes, not because it’s the right thing to do … the swindlers who wrote the derivatives contracts underpinned by subprime loans, sold to banks all over the world who are now writing off billions and tens of billions, may look like champions who hit homeruns by making billions in the process BUT it was the wrong thing to do regardless of the profits involved.

Further, I want either a BASE JCW with 210hp with NO forced options OR an appropriate full-on, skirted, braked, rimmed, lowered monster … for BMW to choose for me what they want (half-ass) and force me to then add or substitute their choices is asinine.

‘Gabe’, go back and read agin the logic behind my post … your argument is looking like primary school grade material. This has nothing to do with BMW building and selling what I want specifically, although what I want will dictate whether I will buy or not … and this car is nowhere near what I want.

They half-assed this car by: 1. forcing me to buy rims I don’t want which I pay for upfront and then have to pay twice by buying new rims … stupidity; 2. forcing me to buy brakes I don’t want or need and preventing me from reallocating that money elsewhere … stupidity; 3. not lowering the car to imply, or make conspicuous, the fact that it’s a performance upgraded vehicle … not to mention absolutely necessary on a car that looks jacked up ready to go off-roading … stupidity; 4. leaving out an appropriate level of suspension to correlate with a faster car with bigger brakes, but adding rims … stupidity; 5. forcing me to pay for an illuminated shift knob … are you kidding me? … stupidity; 6. making any additions dealer installed options so I can get raped even further … I guess the factory can’t cope with such trivial issues … stupidity.

Again, either build a BASE version with an upgraded powertrain and nothing more OR build it as it should be. But seeing as how there are enough people posting here that can’t seem to grasp this rudimentary logic and are willing to spend money like they’re bank machines, why would I expect BMW to do anything different than make as much money as they can which ever way they can … fools and their money are soon parted … and I ain’t no fool. Maybe next time BMW.

Reading these posts it becomes abundantly clear that the MINI community cannot even agree on what they would like on this car. Some people want the JCW suspension, some don’t. Some want the JCW body kit, some don’t. Some want the wheels, some want the breaks, some want the carbon fiber, some want the steering wheel…etc. Soooo… I guess MINI was correct in going with the blank slate idea. I do agree that it would be nice if MINI made the Aero Kit and suspesion factory options, but I think it’s fair to say that they probably couldn’t feasibly do it. They already build 2 different models at the same plant, which was not intended to build 2 models or produce them in the volume they are. Bottom line the Oxford plant is already pushed to the max and they probably couldn’t afford the room to offer these as factory options. Besides like I said they are a business and they know that if somebody wants the parts badly enough they end up selling the stock ones and the upgraded ones too. And their dealers make a handsome profit installing them too, so why would they cut their own throats?

I’m personally going to buy a Factory JCW car. I like everything that it comes with, and honestly I’d rather have the standard body kit. I know it doesn’t have the suspension, but it does have the DTC and the ELSD. Two things I did not expect this car to have, but am thrilled that it does. I like the fact that it looks like every other MINI on the road. It makes it a real sleeper car. I guess I’m not a big fan of having a car that screams to the world, more specifically the police, “I’m driving an ultra performance car! Please pay attention to any minor thing I do wrong and ticket me for it!”

So anybody who cries themselves to sleep at night because the Factory JCW doesn’t have everything they dreamed of, don’t worry. I’m sure MINI will build another halo car, why wouldn’t they? They will likely do it towards the end of the model run just like they did with the MCS JCW GP. And if you don’t have the patience to wait for that, you can just build one right now. Just like you could have done with the first generation before the GP came out. All in all I’m glad this is not another GP. I didn’t like the color scheme of the old GP, I hated the wheels and the body kit didn’t look like it belonged on the car. If I want an ugly car that goes fast I’ll buy a VW R32 or a Civic Type R or soemthing like that.

I keep checking this thread in the hope that MotoringFile finally confirms that this was all an April 1 joke.

Jon E, the problem of trying to resell the suspension after upgrading to JCW is now worse . . . buyers now have to try selling the base (instead of the sport suspension) on the markplace — not a lot of buyers looking to upgrade to the base suspension.

In a flash when I talk about a M car everybody pretty much knows I am speaking instantly about a high performance tuned Factory car. However with the JCW brand it stands for a moderate performance car that can be kitted together to make a high performance car. What I think may act as a direct example of the JCW brand is how BMW is handling the tii concept so far, optional products and maybe eventually a semi tuned car.

The new car may not be considered a dealer kit yet Mini is handling this car exactly as a kit car. The problem with this is I when it came to a R53 or R56 dealer JCW was the JCW brand was just another kit for the car like Alta or many other tuners. With them leaving this car so short they are still competing directly against the aftermarket vendors.

I agree completly. Your comments focus on the one thing that bothers me most about MINI (but not enough to keep me from buying). I took delivery of a 2008 MCS a couple of months ago. The local dealer wanted over $2400, plus realignment cost, for the purchase and installation of the JCW suspension. I purchased elsewhere and had a reputable local German automotive shop do the install. Total installed cost was $1490 plus an alignment at a local speciality shop; however I still have the complete original suspension, which is effectively brand new, that I now need to try and sell. More than likely it will continue to take up precious space in my garage for the next several years. There is the same issue with respect to the dealer installed JCW engine kit (which I may opt for or may decide to go aftermarket for my performance upgrades). If they offered these options as “factory installed” I wouldn’t be looking at the aftermarket options.

the difference between a factory ‘standard’ suspension and a factory ‘sport’ suspension, in terms of cost at the factory, is zero. It is still four springs, four shocks/struts, and two swaybars. Even the $500 adder for the sport suspension is pure profit for MINI.

Even putting the JCW suspension on at the factory would only be a slight increase, due to the fact that YOU WOULDN’T HAVE TO PAY FOR THE STOCK PARTS. They could do this for under $1000, easily. But with this scenario, they get to sell us two suspensions, and the dealer gets to charge us several hundred dollars to install the JCW stuff, and we get to take some ornaments home for the garage.

I’d be at least slightly happier if the JCW suspension and aero were at least factory options. I absolutely refuse to pay a dealer to take brand new parts off of my car to put other brand new ‘factory’ parts on it.

but, overall, if this car is going to have the softest possible suspension standard, I really think the people running the JCW brand need to have their heads examined.