MINI USA has launched an entirely new configurator today with a completely refine experience. The new experience includes the following key enhancements:
– Larger images
– Three different views of your car
– More option and product information
– Simple model selection with ability to carry-over options when switching from model to model (where applicable)
– Ability to configure a car in any order
– Access to payment estimator at any time
– Printed brochures now include options codes
One key part of today’s news is that these are 2010 models featured not the refreshed 2011 models. We expect the new models to go online sometime in August.
It’s also worth noting that many accessories aren’t yet in the
Please note we’re still working to complete the aftersales ACCESSORIES section. All accessories are visible as thumbnail images, however the “on car†images are still being developed and we expect them to be completed within the next couple weeks.
Now, go configure!
<p>First glance: nice! Thanks!</p>
<p>After a quick visit I didn’t like it much. I’m sure there are some practical advantages, and the view of the interior when you zoom all the way in is definitely more helpful to envision things, but the main view of the car, kind of a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar POV through a wide angle lens, is just kind of freaky.</p>
<p>Also the overall aesthetic seems pretty busy and not focused on the vehicle compared to the previous version, where the car sat front and center alone. The new one feels a bit more like something you’d see at Ford.com. Finally the performance was incredibly clunky, but that might be my internet connection today. (Or, everybody in America is logging on at the same time in wonderment… who knows.)</p>
<p>It take much longer to config a car.</p>
<p>Overall the mini usa website loads slow on my mac viewing in safari.
I just ran thru several builds and it felt quicker than the previous version. I’m looking forward to seeing it updated again to reflect the refresh.</p>
<p>Is it just me or did they also remove the ability to determine roughly your lease or financing costs once you build the car.</p>
<p>Unless it doesn’t like Firefox, it doesn’t seem to work to well. It actually froze up on me and doesn’t offer an easy way to close some of the pop-up boxes. Overall it looks nice, but I miss the old one.</p>
<p>Interesting finds, which I hope are not errors.</p>
<p>Anthracite Headliner is $0.00
Piano Black is $0.00
Cream White is $0.00</p>
<p>Matthew, surely those are errors.</p>
<p>I noticed if you choose the woodgrain dashboard, it makes the oval trim on the doors wooden as well, which I think is incorrect — those come in piano black if you get a wood dash (sadly). Of course it’s possible that will be a change in the 2011 model year, but the rest of the configurator is consistent with the 2010 model, so I doubt it.</p>
<p>Didn’t the previous configurator taut over 15,000,000 combinations? This one is down to only 10,000,000.</p>
<p>One great addition is the “Stop telling me about packages” checkbox. That way as you add Sport Package ingredients to a Cooper, but not the full package, it will only prompt you about the package once.</p>
<p>Overall, the previous configurator seemed to flow better for some reason. I don’t like the way the scrolling works in the new one. Even so, it works fine.</p>
<p>Not configurator-related, but I noticed that Engine Stop/Start Button is now standard. That’s unfortunate.</p>
<p>How could the start/stop button not be standard? It’s been the only way to start any MINI of the R55/56/57 lineage since they were released.</p>
<p>Overall I find it to be functional and fairly easy to config. Perhaps a bit slower than then old one but since I’m so used to the old one it has an advantage in familiarity.</p>
<p>Interesting notes… the start/stop button appears to be an option as does the engine. Granted you can’t select (or should I say unselect) them however it would be lining the tool up for a future 3 cylinder with an option to select a 4 cylinder engine. Same with start/stop. Perhaps Start/stop or the EU auto start/stop? Also a new Value package that combines the generic Aero kit with the cold weather kit.</p>
<p>What I do not like is the darkness of it. A black car (or any dark color) on the dark background is difficult to actually see. When I added a JCW Aero kit to the black car I could see something change but could not see any detail at all. Also many of the options are not working that used to work. Checked mirrors, center dual stripes, etc. on the old configurator would show, on this one they do not (yet?).</p>
<p>I could go on but I believe this is their attempt at a late beta release so they can get feedback and make the appropriate corrections.</p>
<p>M. Covey – I didn’t realize the start/stop button was standard. I thought that it was only there if you bought the Comfort Access (or whatever it was called) option.</p>
<p>I agree with Matthew C, the thing jammed up when I tried added the Value Package just to test how it worked, and there was no way to get out of it. I simply had to start over by hitting the back button.</p>
<p>It’s the first day, of course, so no surprise that there are bugs.</p>
<p>It also looks like they’ve removed the ability to see a number of options on the car, something that made the previous version one-of-a-kind. I can’t preview any JCW accessories except the body kit.</p>
<p>The last version was a million times better.</p>
<p>I just configured on the new site the exact same car I configured 2 days ago… there’s a $1300 difference! I think they bumped up the prices for certain things….</p>
<p>the Dutch configuration tool (www.mini.nl) is unchanged for almost four years now.. It even contains a few (37) bugs for more than two years. I’m using the USA site for a while now, MINI marketing in The Netherlands is sad, really sad..</p>
<p>I had my session hang up on me. Having said that, I like this set up a lot better. I enjoy the vantage point and the multiple ways to have options presented to you. I found the old configuring system required you to have to check every box as you side scrolled. Especially, if you wanted only bits and pieces from a package. I’d built numerous cars without a feature I wanted simply because I’d overlooked it on the layout. I rack that up to operator error though, lol. I think it would be wise to reserve final judgment until the new options are up and it’s been smoothed over by MINI, it is day 1.</p>
<p>I also had it hang up and couldn’t close pop ups.</p>
<p>Dislike having the exterior and interior options on one page…</p>
<p>VERY slow and overall clunkier than the old version.</p>
<p>Overall, kinda depressing… I was looking forward to spec’ing some cars this morning… oh well…</p>
<p>I agree with Jay, you need to be able to see the options on the car, this is what made the previous configurator much better.</p>
<p>It would be fine if you can actually see the JCW parts on the car!! ie the carbon fibre parts. Even the driving lamps don’t show up! If they fix that then it will be good.</p>