2007 MINI US Market Availability
Last week we looked at the production timeline for the entire family of next generation MINIs. This week, let’s deal with the simple question we’ve been seeing a lot lately; “when can I order a 2007?”
For Europe and the UK your time is now. With pricing announced this week dealers should be happy to help get you a production slot if not today, very soon.
In the US we’ll have to wait a bit longer as pricing and US specifications won’t be about for awhile yet. However we can confirm what we’ve been reporting for awhile now; the first US orders for the R56 will be for December production. Expect delivery of these cars in late January for the east coast and midwest. For the rest of the country that translates into early February. MINI is planning on making Presidents day weekend the official launch in the US as all dealers should have cars by then.
Does this mean that people who order early won’t have the help of MINI’s online configurator available for the new car (since that’s making it’s online debut in December)?
when will the website be updated?
It would be interesting to find out how long the waiting list is in the UK for one of these new cars – I bet you they have huge lists already!
>when will the website be updated?
As posted last Friday: <a href="http://motoringfile.com/2006/08/11/2007-mini-usa-configurator-due-in-december/" rel="nofollow">2007 MINI USA Configurator Due in December</a>
>Does this mean that people who order early won’t have the help of MINI’s online configurator available for the new car (since that’s making it’s online debut in December)?
Dealers will most likely have order sheets as they have in past years when the online config wasn’t updated.
We in the US should be able to get a good preview of configurations by looking at the UK and Int. sites. Once prices are set I’m sure that info will be on the net some where also. We should be able to piece things together.
I’d 10 to 1 rather be able to touch the options than see them in any online site though. Do we know anything about preview cars making rounds to dealers?
>Once prices are set I’m sure that info will be on the net some where also.
I don’t think you’ll have to look too far.
the prices for Germany are set:
<a href="http://www.mini2.info/forum/showpost.php?p=937479&postcount=710" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.mini2.info/forum/showpost.php?p=937479&postcount=710</a>
(pdf-file)
but the configurator isn’t up to date
New Cooper S costs only 50 EUROS more than the R53.
Fifty euros equals how many us dollars?
<blockquote>Fifty euros equals how many us dollars?</blockquote>
$63.94 as of this morning.
>New Cooper S costs only 50 EUROS more than the R53.
<b>Don’t expect US pricing to match this.</b>
<blockquote> Don’t expect US pricing to match this. </blockquote>
that sounds kinda ominous to me… i feel sad now
I don’t read German, but there sure are a lot of options there. Especially for the initial release.
Gabe may be alluding to the fact that the U.S. Dollar is weaker against most currencies (including the Euro) when MINI set its initial prices way back in early 2002 (and the subsequent price trajectory through the model years). Thus MINI may use the 2007 refresh as an opportunity to catch up a little bit.
That said, it’s dangerous to adjust too much. There are a lot of buyers who will skip the first year of a new model build (to allow time for the manufacturer to work out the bugs), and traditionally holding the line on price is the way to encourage otherwise reluctant buyers.
The other reason not to expect U.S. price to match would be that the U.S. “base” spec has not been announced yet either.
DOH… I wish I knew what the difference was going to be. I’d get a ’06 if the ’07 is much more expensive. I don’t think we can expect more than a 500 dollar premium?? Could we?
I know in one case the new BMW M Coupe costs about 49,900 and I think the old one was around 45,000 if my brain isn’t failing me.
An increase of 5k would suck, but I think it would be unlikely since you’d alienate many of the more casual mini buyers.
Yes the U.S. specifications will be different for a couple of reasons. Firstly Americans expect a high level of standard safety, comfort, convenience, and performance features so our cars will cater to those attributes. Second the U.S. government requires certain things in our cars like the OC3 mat sensors in the passenger seats of ’05 and ’06 model year U.S. market MINI’s. I’ll tell you from experience though if you plan to get into a 2007 leave your deposits now. We’ve already taken a few and plan to contact those customers once the prices and specifications are available. Go get your 2006’s now though if you want the current style. We’re almost out of our current allocation. We’ll get a few more but just enough so we don’t run out of cars by Feb.
<blockquote>the prices for Germany are set:
<a href="http://www.mini2.info/forum/showpost.php?p=937479&postcount=710" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.mini2.info/forum/showpost.php?p=937479&postcount=710</a></blockquote>I noticed some interesting things in the options list:
Sport Button (4UF) “more direct responsing mode of steering element and accelerator pedal” [Google translation] is an option, not standard – 103 Euros
TV-function (601) for the Navigation system – 861 Euros
Phonetic input system (620) “Control of different telephone and navigation system functions as well as scratchpad facility” (voice control) – 241 Euros
There doesn’t seem to be an audio upgrade equivalent to the current Harmon Kardon. There is a MINI HiFi Loudspeaker System (6FD) for 387 Euros — just speaker upgrade, or more?
Does anyone know if they will simultaneously release the convertible version when the new ’07s debut?