[Mick N]

Hi everyone

I have had my current vehicle, a Ford focus ST for 6 years now with no trouble at all. With all the problems  we’ve had over the last few years I couldn’t find a suitable replacement.
At last I got an order in for a mini JCW premium pack and optional blacked out windows. Delivery mid to end of May. I nearly fell off my seat, I was expecting a very long wait.
Are the dates everyone is getting for delivery proving reliable?

I hope so

Topic

[Footloose]

Hi Mick

 

Great choice of vehicle.I’m not due to select a vehicle until September but hopefully the jcw will still be on.Currently I have a Bmw 2 series Gran coupe and it’s a great car but I’ve always been a fan of mini and especially the jcw .Can I ask what colour you’ve gone for?

[Winston]

Great to hear of someone on the forum going for the JCW ??

I know it’s not a vehicle that many on here could live with probably for a 3 year min lease , but having sat in one ( 1st ever modern mini experience ) it’s really not as small or low as I thought it was

I personally think it was a very welcome addition when it was added in Jan

Can I ask what dealer you used? And the colour combo you picked?

May is not far away ??

When life hands you melons...,
Make melonade!

[DBtruth]

Great to hear you’ve ordered the JCW. I think mini’s are great and have one of the best interiors on the market!

I’ve sat in a standard cooper and it was too low for me to use everyday but if it wasn’t, they’d definitely be high up on my list.
I’d also consider the EV mini too as I really like the look of them with those mad alloys which I know aren’t everyone’s cup of tea.

As Winston says, May isn’t far away! Post a pic when you get it if you can

[Mick N]

Thanks for the replies guys,

 

Ok, I’ve gone for the rebel green all over, no fancy roof or door mirror covers. Just one block colour. Should look nice with rear privacy glass.

the interior quality is outstanding, you can smell the BMW in it. Nice little chunky steering wheel.  It was like a tardis is in there so much more room than I expected, apart from the extra power  I needed seats with little to no lateral movement while  going round bends (nerve damage) and I live in a country with no motorways.  It works perfectly for this

I used Westerly Mini in Yeovil. They were so good with communication that I feared they thought I was a private customer  but no they are just that good. they actually had one in green sat next to me while I finished the paperwork. It’s a good looking car.

fingers crossed there are no delays and pics will definitely follow after delivery.

No more dribbling over YouTube car reviews.

??

 

 

[Winston]

Nice choice mate ??

That’s the darker green out the 2 isn’t it?

well not long to wait , I hope it flies in for you! but I fear these next 8 weeks may take a bit longer than normal ??‍♂️?

When life hands you melons...,
Make melonade!

[Elliot]

A mate of mine has bought one of these privately. He absolutely loves it. His last car was a Mercedes C220D and he says the JCW is far superior. The only reservation he has is whether he’ll be able to hang onto his driving licence.

[Winston]

Haha, I’ve watched a fair few videos on the JCW since it was announced on the scheme,  just out of curiosity sakes really and that license remark has came up more than once by reviewers

seems like such a fun and quality motor ?

Exactly what’s needed these days ??

When life hands you melons...,
Make melonade!

[Top8Dan]

You may have convinced me to go and take a test drive… how generous is it on options? I could stretch to the AP but options might be the killer

[Wigwam]

The killer when I drove one was going over speed humps!

[Winston]

Since it was announced on the scheme i have watched as many decent videos and reviews on You Tube as i could possibly find, it was almost becoming a bit of an unhealthy habit at bed time ?

Why was i so interested in a Mini? Rightly or wrongly i have always thought they were a bit of a hairdresser motor ( still kinda do tbh ) never been a Mini fan growing up, they never suited my personal taste or lifestyle,  never even contemplated having one and they are absolutely night n day from my last few cars in terms in almost every possible way ?

But the intrigue still remained, i visited a few dealers to see in the flesh, Sat inside to get an initial feel that was not positive, had a 30 min test drive ( which is pointless )

Then i visited a different dealer and had a great easy going chat, I  explained where i was coming from and my fears. in the end she suggested i come back in a couple of days and take her managers car out for as long as i needed.

So… i had a 4 hour solo test drive last month, I actually  wanted to hate it just to finally rule it out and put it firmly into the “Absolutely Stupid” Ideas folder , For the first 15/20 i really did hate it!

Then to my surprise a little smile started to grow , i quickly got used to the driving view and different position etc and found it comfortable and very very fun to drive!

My perception that every car on the motorway would tower over me and i would feel vulnerable and pretty silly was soon blown away when i passed Golfs, 3 Series ( normal sized cars ) etc and they looked no lower to the ground than me. A friend has a TT and is nowhere near as low as that thankfully

The JCW i had was fitted with the optional 18 inch run flats which were very surprising in a positive way, i didn’t find them really that harsh at all, when i hit uneven parts or bumps i felt the noise was more intrusive than any jolt to my back, which i is was dreading – and when you live in Scotland there are plenty bumps and potholes to endure!

I may have driven SUV’s for my last few cars but they have all had sports suspension and low profile large tyres, However i am not going to sit here and say it was like floating on a cloud cos it certainly was not lol, but nowhere near as harsh/firm as i was expecting – for me completely liveable/enjoyable

I did make a couple of stops along the way, getting in was easy enough but i will def have to work on my exits – not graceful at all ?  But the 4 hours literally flew in, Ive not been able to drive my own car for that length of time for years due to the pain it causes so to say i was impressed to how my body was holding up was an understatement

I know that engine, the car in general and the fun and excitement it creates would have certainly helped mask any pain i felt that day, better than any pain meds i take – But after the sudden passing of my little beloved Dog and companion last year the car actually gave me a little bit of respite from the grief and replaced it with a little slice of positivity albeit for those few hours – and that is a very welcome break indeed

I figured after driving the car for 4 hours and wanting more that i was as sure as sure could be that i could live with the cons of the car

So after a further week of thinking things though, going through all the various colour combinations i placed an order

Delivery sometime in May

Its something completely different for me in every possible way and now for the first time in a long time i have something that i am allowing myself to look forward to and if makes my life even 10 % better than i’ll take that ??

If it turns out to be the completely wrong decision ( like many in my life ) then i’ll put my big boy pants on , take the hit financially and slide back into SUV life

So all i can say is if for whatever reason this car appeals to you and you have ruled it out before you have even sat behind the wheel ( like i did ) then find a dealer who well let you have one for a few hours and try it for yourself

you never know it could help bring a little happiness back into your life ?

When life hands you melons...,
Make melonade!

[Wigwam]

What I get from that, Winston, is you’ve rediscovered driving a car can be fun!  Long may it remain so.

[Top8Dan]

Do you find you can fit 2 in the back?

I’m a PhD student at uni and play on the snooker team, I’m always driving the team around in my colt and its a squeeze especially with cues! I’ve got a qashqai on order as it seemed like the sensible choice….
But man I’ve always wanted a hot hatch and with the ICE ban in a few years this might be my last chance..

[Winston]

Thanks mate ?? I hope so too ☀️

as for the back seat and passengers. I’m sorry I have no idea ??‍♂️ The only thing that’ll be in the back of mines is a drone and some sandwiches ?

But I don’t think I’d like to be in the back of a 3 door mini

Who knows that the new quarter will bring and take away, so you should pop along and see for yourself while it’s on the scheme ??

 

When life hands you melons...,
Make melonade!

[kezo]

You will soon rediscover you youth having a JCW and I hope you enjoy every minute of it ?

[Winston]

Ha, that would great – I certainly hope so ??

hopefully some other members have a test drive and surprise themselves too ?

When life hands you melons...,
Make melonade!

[vinalspin]

Top8Dan wrote:

Do you find you can fit 2 in the back? I’m a PhD student at uni and play on the snooker team, I’m always driving the team around in my colt and its a squeeze especially with cues! I’ve got a qashqai on order as it seemed like the sensible choice…. But man I’ve always wanted a hot hatch and with the ICE ban in a few years this might be my last chance..

Unfortunately you can only fit small children in the back of one (once you’ve removed their legs of course)

I managed to fit sideways with my feet in the other rear footwell & the passenger seat slid forwards in my friend’s cabrio once.

If a mini is what you’re after & you need to transport 4 then I suggest the Countryman Cooper SD, it absolutely flies & can easily fit 4 good sized adults + for a taller car the handling is superb & it manages to cope with potholes while maintaining that “Mini” feel.

[Top8Dan]

<p style=”text-align: left;”>I think the disappointing answer for me is that the tech and size on the e-power Nissan is just too good to turn down.</p>
Its an electric motor driven car so it’s still got some good low down pull with 8.something second 0-62 so still much better than the struggling 90 odd bhp mated to the dying gearbox I’ve currently got.

[Mick N]

The options are very generous Dan, I chose the one with the premium plus pack, the other option is the premium pack.

The plus gives you upgraded Harman Kardon audio system, panoramic sunroof, wireless charging and CarPlay, reversing camera, parking assistant plus the usual sat nav, ambient lighting etc, the only dealer option I went for was the privacy glass. It’s pretty loaded really. I was really surprised.

[Mick N]

I think you nailed it there Winston, the little rocket put a smile on my face too and anything that can do that in todays climate is a winner in my book.
I had a lot of the same reservations as you, especially the “hairdresser car” and feeling towered over. But they soon disappeared after I sat in one.

Like you it’s the polar opposite of what I usually chose but this one is the “you only live once” choice. If it makes you happy then how could it be wrong.

which colour and options did you go for? I went for the 17s instead of the 18s I thought the 18s bulged outwards too much for my comfort. I’d curb them buggers without a doubt. Since found out the 17 are the same so the large breaks can fit? First world problems.
looks like we have  the same delivery times. I forgot how slow this part drags, back to you tube I suppose

Sorry about your dog. ??

[Winston]

Hi Mick,

like you the Premium Plus was a no brainer! So that’s what I’ve went for too

3 white cars in a row I’ve had and I told myself this time “No White” but what have I when for? Nanuq White ??‍♂️?

When I started looking at them Moonwalk Grey was an option and that is what I had my heart set on but that’s been discontinued now

Nanuq White is new to the Mini range , Mineral White in BMW language , I saw a few lovely Beamers outside the dealers shining away in the lovely Scottish Winter Sun ( it happens… honestly ) then a Mini Cooper inside the dealers and my mind wa made up

like you did, I too watched all the videos on You Tube and spent hours on the configurator chopping and changing colour schemes , sometimes too much choice is hard work eh? Like you say.. 1st world problems n all

so final decision is

Premium Plus Auto

Nanuq White

Red Roof & Mirror Caps ?

18 inch run flats – they were on the car I test drove for 4 hours and I was more than pleasantly surprised – tbh I much prefer them aesthetically so unless they felt like the wheels from the Flintstones car I was always going for them lol

Aluminium Dash Styling thingy ( just to get rid of the piano gloss black stuff )

Black belt line – which replaces the chrome strip that goes right round the car

I ticked the free adaptive suspension too!

did you make sure you ticked that? Cos even though it’s a free option you don’t get it if you don’t select it

so there really wasn’t anything else worth getting

in for a penny in for a pound and all that

i looked at their factory privacy glass and it wasn’t dark enough for me, so I’ll arrange the windows to get tinted by a local company ( who I’ve used on my current and previous cars )

That will  get done before I pick it up , just so it’s all ready for me to enjoy

So I wonder who will get theirs first ??‍♂️?

No one knows what the state of affairs will be in 3/5 years , the electric options may be more attractive by then so like you say this could be one final swansong in an ice motor and one thing life has taught me these past few months is that nothing is guaranteed , so just enjoy what you can while you can ??

thanks for mentioning my little man who I lost ?❤️

Do you have a family , just wondering what their reactions have been to your new order?

I don’t have much of a social circle these days ( quite the opposite lol )

but I haven’t told anyone , cos I knew they’d be like… you’ve ordered a Mini ??‍♂️??‍♂️??‍♂️

So I’ll wait till they get into the passenger seat and show them it’s got a bit more oomph than a blow dry at a hairdresser ?

When life hands you melons...,
Make melonade!

[Mick N]

Hi Winston

I had a quick play on the configurator and the white and red really looks good,  I’ve had  a white focus st for 6 yrs now, time for a change of colour for me  it’s the cleaning, oh god all the cleaning?

I never actually considered changing the dash, can’t stand fingerprints on piano black. I’ll probably do the black line myself. But I did opt for the adaptive suspension??it Helps watching YouTube videos, I think I knew more about the car than the salesman?

All my kids now have families of their own, when I told them they just laughed ??‍♂️ not sure how to take that lol. Like you I’m just going to wait till they see it and go for a little spin.

I think my wife is more exited than me and she doesn’t even drive, ? but she thinks this is probably one of the last 2,0l turbos on motobility. I must be one of the only people not embracing hybrids and EVs. I’m just a Neanderthal I suppose. ??‍♂️can’t beat a 2l turbo imo.

??

 

[Winston]

Hi Mick,

As the Nanuq White is a fairly new colour on the Mini the majority of videos on You Tube especially the JCW’s are different colour combos and I think they all look great! So I’ve been thinking have I went a little OTT and should dial it back a bit and get a combo that’s a little less in your face?

I’m probably still at the stage where I could change the colour , as I added the black belt line ( which isn’t on the configurator – but the dealer can add it on their system ) just last week

I love the look of the black and red, then I like the green all over ( like yours ) so you’re like a kid in a sweetie shop when presented with so many choices ??‍♂️and I find myself favouring a different colours every couple of days ??‍♂️

I’ve had White cars since 2015 and I told myself something different next time , so what’s another 3 years eh ?

if you really don’t like the piano black you should ask your dealer if you’re able to change it , it’s not a lot of money in the grand scheme of things

your wife might not drive but she obviously has good understanding of cars and enjoys one with a bit of oomph – so I’m sure you’ll love your new wheels ??

I’ve only told my Mum, when I had the test drive I pulled into her drive for 5 mins to show her it ( she knows nothing about cars )

But she said it looked bigger than she thought it would when I mentioned Mini and she liked the colours and headlights ha , so that’s something eh

You’re right about knowing a lot more stats and facts about the cars than the sales agents – cos when you watch video after video you pick up on all the small changes and alterations Mini make from year to year

1 thing I will have to get use to is a manual handbrake again, not that it’s a massive deal but I’ve not had to use one since 2015 and therefore no auto hold. But I’m sure that won’t be an issue

anyways I’m glad someone else on here has one on order

not too long mate! Not too long at all ??

When life hands you melons...,
Make melonade!

[Top8Dan]

Hi all,

With the delay of my ordered qashqai for another couple months I thought I should give the JCW a test drive just to see what I could be missing out on…

I pick one up on Saturday!

managed to find one in stock about an hour away.
Premium pack with the 17s, all black with back tints. “murdered out” if you will.
I planned out my test drive route beforehand to make sure I got motorway and country lane and WOW.
I feel like a little kid.

[Phaedra]

Mini !!!

That takes me back!, first car I ever bought was a used Mini, 1970 J reg, cost me all of £350 🙂

Wide wheels and bucket seats, still not sure how I managed to get in/out of it being 6′-5 1/2″ but of course I was in my early 20’s, somewhat slimmer and no mobility issues!  I loved that car 🙂

Please excuse spelling/typos. Apart from being a clot it turns out I had one on my cerebellum that's now causing various problems!

[Winston]

Aww that’s amazing mate! I’m well chuffed for you! You must be counting the days until Saturday?! It’ll look the berries in that colour combo ?

please share some photos and feedback after you’ve ate up some miles in the new wheels ??

it sounds very similar to my first experience behind the wheel, once I got to grips with it I found myself smiling like a right Wally – people at the lights must’ve thought I’d been let out for the day ?

Congratulations again mate ??

 

When life hands you melons...,
Make melonade!

[Author]

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