|
MINI
Mods
So
Many Choices, So Little Time
Because
the vast majority of MINIs that cross the Atlantic are sold before
they reach our shores, the odds are that you’ll have to order
one. The wait could last as long as three months or more, but you
have the advantage of configuring the car to your precise specifications.
Before I so much as visited a dealership, I had already configured
my dream car online. Over the next couple of weeks, I made several
changes based on additional research.
OPTIONS,
MORE OPTIONS
And when I say research, I mean a lot of research.
I was spending an hour or two each day scouring the forums at MINI2.com
and North American Motoring.com, reading what other owners had to
say about their cars and seeing what factory, dealer and aftermarket
options they had chosen. The options available to the prospective
owner are staggering. This means that you are more likely to be
able to get your MINI just right. It also means that your anxiety
over making the wrong choices is quite high; there is nothing worse
than being frustrated with your car and knowing that things could
have turned out very different if only you had made the smart choice.
 |
| ABOVE: I used this picture
as my background screen during the two week infatuation with
the roof box. |
Let
me illustrate this point with an example. One of the first options
I decided on was the roof box and rack. I reasoned that because
the MINI was such a small car, it made sense to add the roof box’s
storage capacity. I was preparing for a roadtrip from Houston to
Seattle and back, which meant the extra storage would come in handy.
But when I researched the option online, I discovered that relatively
few owners had chosen it, and those who had seemed to have mixed
feelings. Compared to aftermarket options, the factory kit was expensive,
and it required drilling into the roof, too. After giving the whole
thing some thought, I decided to abandon the roof box idea and instead
teach myself to travel light.
I evaluated every option on the car in a similar
fashion. The onboard navigation option was dropped when I discovered
both that it would re-located the MINI’s distinctive center
speedometer back to the traditional spot over the steering wheel,
and that aftermarket options were more versatile and less expensive.
I opted for the standard leatherette upholstery over the factory
leather when I found out that many owners were dissatisfied with
wear on the upholstery and that aftermarket leather of better quality
could be had for less than the $1,300 factory sticker price. I did,
however, choose the factory Premium and Sport packages, and opt
for the $550 Harmon/Kardon stereo upgrade.
 |
| ABOVE: The Euro Parcel
Shelf replaces the knee bolster with a useful storage space.
I installed it myself in the space of fifteen minutes. |
IPOD
SOLUTIONS
The option that inspired the most
excitement, though, was the $40 Auxiliary Input, which actually
costs between $150 and $250 installed, if you have the dealership
do it. Ever since I bought my first iPod, I have been looking for
a car sound system that offered an auxiliary input. The FM transmitters
available on the market are too underpowered to do the job in a
saturated market like Houston, and none of the cars I’ve bought
since 1999 have had tape decks. If you ask me, every car manufacturer
on the planet should include an auxiliary input as standard equipment;
the current state of affairs is ridiculous. Every car enthusiast
discussion board online is riddled with threads asking for ways
to jack the iPod into the car’s sound system. This is a need
the manufacturers should stop ignoring. Although MINI does not offer
this as a factory standard, the existence of the option itself was
enough for me.
While
exploring the iPod threads, I found out about an interesting modification
that several owners have done: replacing the bolster under the steering
wheel with the parcel shelf standard in European MINIs, and then
porting the Aux Input and an additional 12v jack into the shelf.
By doing this, you can place the iPod out of the way on the parcel
shelf, where it plugs into the sound system and recharges through
the 12v. Personally, I found this set-up preferable to plugging
the iPod into one of the cup holders and running wires around. I
like to keep the wires out of sight for better aesthetics.
 |
| ABOVE: The silver and
black color scheme is subtle and modern. |
STANDARD
PALETTE
Over the past few
years, I’ve established an automotive color palette. My first
car was taupe, my second was blue, the third black, the fourth gold
and the fifth green, so I have been all over the spectrum. But with
the purchase of my BMW 528i in 1999, I found a color scheme that
has now become my standard: silver and black. I can’t explain
it, but there is something sophisticated about a silver car. When
it’s clean, it looks great, and when it’s dirty it looks
clean. So when it came time to choose a color for the MINI, Pure
Silver was the obvious choice.
That’s
not to say I didn’t entertain alternatives. I flirted with
Dark Silver and Black (both with contrasting white tops), and my
wife Laurie tried to make a case for Pepper White. There was a brief
moment when I thought about reverting to British Racing Green, but
then I saw a MINI in that shade driving down Westheimer one afternoon
and decided it was great for other people, but not for me.
The
only question that remained was whether I would go with a Pure Silver
top or the contrasting black. I could have gone either way, to be
honest, but the decision was made for me when I found out that MINI
of the Woodlands had a Pure Silver Cooper S configured exactly the
way I wanted (with the exception of the auto-dimming mirror) that
was unsold and on its way to the States. That is the car I ended
up buying, and it arrived in less than a month, though at times
it seemed like an eternity.
 |
| ABOVE: The MINI luggage,
manufactured by Samsonite, is cleverly designed and looks good,
too. |
RUBBER
MATS & LUGGAGE
Rubber mats are de rigueur. I can’t imagine
a car without them. My BMW has its original cloth mats, but only
because with that car, nothing else would really click. The Saab
9-3 convertible, however, has rubber mats, like the Saab before
it did, and so there was no question that the MINI would have them,
too. I have to say that the MINI mats are excellent. They fit perfectly
in the foot wells and look fantastic. In my car, I’d say they
make the look. The only problem with rubber floor mats is that hand
wash places like Bubbles on FM 1960 never seem to get the mud out
of the crevices.
BELOW:
The luggage fits perfectly into the MINI's boot. |
 |
Probably
the greatest extravagance that accompanied the MINI was the set
of luggage custom designed by Samsonite to fit into the MINI’s
boot. The bags are well-designed but a little quirky. They don’t
quite manage the attention to detail obtained by the MINI_motion
carpack, but the carpack would look better if produced in the colors
and materials used with the luggage. From the moment I picked up
the car, I traveled with the empty luggage in the boot, so that
I could reveal it to amaze people who examine the car. It always
works. But the reason I bought the luggage (which is decidedly overpriced)
was not for show; it was so that I could make the maximum use of
the MINI’s limited space during my upcoming roadtrip.
UNDER
CONSIDERATION
Right now, I am considering a number of additional
modifications. I have a longing for chrome interior bits, especially
the $500 replacements for the two plastic pillars that bracket the
center console. I’m inclined to go chrome-crazy, but the retail
prices of the interior bits seem a little high.
Another
option I’m considering is an aftermarket GPS solution. The
most attractive one I’ve seen so far is Garmin’s new
PDA, but it has the handicap of not being Mac-compatible. Although
this is a common enough shortcoming, it is one I’m not ready
to put up with at the moment, so my search for a Mac-friendly GPS
solution is ongoing. Every so often, I think about one of those
fancy Pioneer head units that includes the LCD screen and GPS, but
to be honest, most aftermarket head units savor too much of Vegas
for my taste.
Since
the MINI Bluetooth Kit is ridiculously overpriced and under-integrated,
I am looking at alternatives to use my Ericsson T39m hands free.
I found a MINI manual online that gives instructions for installing
a T39 hands free system into the car, but so far I have not been
able to locate the system itself (or figure out where I downloaded
the manual from, for that matter). Bluetooth would be the best option,
but MINI will need to find a less expensive, better-looking system
to tempt me.
DISAPPOINTMENTS
Frankly, there have been few disappointments
with the MINI so far. The 17 inch run-flats do provide exactly the
kind of punishing ride over rough pavement that everyone said they
would, but I still plan to keep them. One surprise was finding out
that the steering wheel tilts up and down but does not telescope.
This means that while I can adjust the seat perfectly to accommodate
all six foot, one inch of me, I can’t get the distance for
my legs and arms right at the same time—either my legs are
pinched and my arms are relaxed, or my legs are relaxed and my arms
are stretched. As a result, I find myself adjusting the seat one
notch forward, one notch back as I drive. This is a minor oversight,
but considering how well the MINI is designed to accommodate larger
passengers, it is a disappointment.
*
* *
The
MINI Cooper S is incredibly fun to drive. The stock machine is amazing,
and the range of options available from factory and dealer makes
each car feel unique. Plus, there is a growing aftermarket community
to support even more modifications. If you want a car that is great
to drive and can be customized to suit your needs, the MINI Cooper
S is worth considering.
|
