White Roof Radio #139
We go fairly long tonight getting caught up. But first, if you are going to AMVIV, be sure to download the event guide that Michael, Patricia and I did last week.
Who hates the JCW drilled rotors? Todd seems to think that everyone hates them.
So, I finally drove an R56 and we took quite a bit of time discussing the car, since we have all driven one. Yea, this car is all good in my opinion as long as the arches aren’t painted. I also give my reason why I think everyone thinks the interior looks cheap. Of course, we discussed it at length. By the end of it, Todd is still a hater while Gabe and myself still think it’s a pretty great car.
Plus the last 2 weeks of news, pretty much, from Motoringfile.
Don’t forget all 3 of us will be at AMVIV this year, starting Friday at the NAMCC out in Pahrump where Todd and I will be pulling PA duties. And if you haven’t registered yet, you need to do that by March 17th at amviv.com. Get on it!
Woofcast #139: [audio:http://www.whiteroofradio.com/podcasts/woof139.mp3]
Everyone does not think the interior looks cheap.
yes, yes they do.
Todd, I agree with you. The new R56 is a blatant exercise in cost cutting. Speak up and do not be afraid.
do not
Gotta say, as a first-time MINI owner, I totally agree that the Sports Button is what makes it feel really HOT. Key, clutch, Start Button, and Sports Button. Then I’m ready to go.
There are actually serveral things I like better than the R53. The additional knee room on the narrower center stack is noticable to me, and I think the interior build quality overall is better. Nice to have better seats too, still waiting for my JCW seats though. Personally a perfect car doesn’t exist. Have along with many others spend money and time getting my current R53’s to where they are. Assuming the same process will happen on my R56.
Have a concept of what I am going to do with the center stack, thinking about having the face of the center stack covered in alcantara. Not sure what about the downtubes as of yet though.
Just an observation about the center stack in response to Gabe’s comments on the podcast. The fascia between the stack components (the notorious acres of black plastic) is in fact concave. Perhaps it is not concave enough for your senses, but the shape is clearly evident on the profile of the stack components where they meet the fascia. Look at any of the many photos and its obvious.
I love the center stack. The only fault I would give it is that they tried to reference the past interiors “down-tubes” where I think they should have abandoned this all together. I think the old interior used the iconography of a “rack” system with components installed into it, where in fact the tubes were not structural in any sense. Thats fine – you can find elements of artifice in both interiors, but my point is that the DIN slotted radio and HVAC controls matching that modular rhythm feels decidedly dated these days when even a bottom of the barrel car comes with a dashboard design with the radio integrated. I think they should have skipped the reference to the past dash and went with the new design moves they have developed.
I think it is great the way these modular pieces are reconfigured on the stack depending on whether or not the car has the nav system. This could not happen in the same way old dash design – the nav system had to displace the speedo. Now the nav is more completely integrated into the systems rather than an added component, similar to a DIN radio.