My new F56 MCS

[smithyithy]

Hi, thought I'd share my new Mini that I picked up on Saturday:





I'm over the moon with it, such a nice car to drive, the interior is fantastic and I'm really enjoying some of the things I specced. Overall it's just a great package and plenty quick enough.

Purchased through Sytner Mini Sutton Coldfield who I can't recommend enough, superb service through them

Comments welcome, I'll get some detail and interior shots after work if it stops raining!

[smithyithy]

EricE said:

I think it looks like it has a beard.
Still a cracking little car if its anything like its predecessor.
Better interior, better engine, features like the head-up display, etc... what’s not to like? In terms of every-day practicality paired with sheer driving fun I still believe the Minis have no peers until you get well into Porsche territory.

Congratulations and have fun!

Pretty much my view! This is my first ever Mini, and the first car I've ever bought new, having previously had various older Jap / VAG cars. and a mix of new and nearly-new econodiesel company cars.

For me, the MCS ticked all the boxes. It's small, as I don't like large cars and have no real need for rear seats or a big boot.. It's plenty quick enough in the real world - 0-60 in 6.7 I believe. It handles very well, every little detail is nice to see or use, it really feels like a bespoke car, even if it is just a Mini with options, I think even the base models are lovely cars.

The looks will surely be a bit marmite, I remember not liking the R56 when it first came out but it really grew on me, as has this. When the dealer sent me the built photos and brief video of this car I was a bit unsure about the dimensions and overall looks, but in the flesh I think it looks superb, when you walk around it and observe it from different angles it works really well.

And yeah, a new or nearly-new 911 would be my next ambition, though it might be a few years before I'm in a position to be looking at one!

But for now, this will certainly do, I'm chuffed with it

[smithyithy]

I'd have gone for an older real JCW originally if I could - the CO2 was above my employers limit

[smithyithy]

Still waiting to get some better photos, it's either dark or peeing it down when I'm not at work

This is an in-production photo I got though, so same as this but RHD:

[smithyithy]

Pip1968 said:

I am not sure on the looks either but well done anyway.

Are they Mini GP wheels - run flats and 17" ?

Pip

The wheels are part of the JCW kit, not sure if you can spec them alone..

They are called the 'Cup' alloys - 18" + run flats.

I thought they'd be awfully hard, but I'm used to a sports bike so any car feels comfy

The tyres are skinny though, I'm paranoid about kerbs and bad pot holes, in previous cars they weren't an issue

[smithyithy]

The car was away for the weekend to have an Enhancement Detail and Gtechniq Protection Package at Midlands Car Care, Russ handed me the keys back this morning and it looks pretty **** good!

Car was washed, decon'd and clayed. 2-stage machine polish to remove any swirls and light defects. Gtechniq package consists of Exo V2 on the paintwork, C5 on the wheels, G1 on the glass, I1 on the mats, L1 on the leather and CarPro DLUX on the external plastics.

I've stocked up on a bunch of new cleaning stuff so hopefully I can keep it looking this clean

[smithyithy]

Thanks

This Cooper S is 192bhp, I've been looking around the web for proven remaps since getting it to be honest.. A company called DTUK make a 'tuning box' for these and other new BMW engines, that apparently increases 192bhp to 230bhp (1bhp shy of the new JCW) and 280NM to 350NM.

It's £420 though with the current discount.. It's a good power gain but that's quite steep, although I suppose it's effectively a 'remap in a box' that can be swapped between cars..

[smithyithy]

Bit of a long post here guys but I thought it was worth sharing

So yesterday I felt like just going for a long drive and exploring, so I headed up into the Peak District, and basically just drove the Mini around all sorts of twisty roads; mucky, single-track lanes; snowy, muddy tracks etc. It was a lot of fun, the Mini handled it surprisingly well :driver:











Beautiful part of the country..



After a day of being daft, the car was a little bit dirty (I do clean it weekly so this is the dirtiest it's been since getting it)













































Quite mucky, as you can see! So, quickly the order of cleaning:

- Interior mats and carpet vacuumed, seats, dash, everything else dusted and wiped with plush microfibre. Pedals and footrest cleaned with Muc-Off.

- Exterior thorough pressure wash including wheels, tyres, arches, undercarriage. This removed a good amount of dirt in itself.

- Arches sprayed with ValetPro Citrus Prewash then scrubbed with flexible brush (bloody knuckles followed, must wear gloves next time!) then rinsed out.

- Wheels and tyres cleaned with Dodo Juice 'Basics Of Bling' via brush, noodle wash mitt and Wheel Woolie (praise be).

- Car snowfoamed with Citrus Prewash (it's all I have) at a decent dilution, while dwelling I cleaned under the skirts and bumpers with a wash mitt.

- Pressure washed and re-foamed, this time I went around with a detailing brush and cleaned in all the pane gaps and tighter areas that the washmitt tends to miss.

- Rinsed again, then washed 2 Bucket Method with Dodo Juice 'Born To Be Mild' on a Microfibre Madness Incredimitt.

- Pressure washed, then rinsed with an open hose to sheet most of the water off, then pat-dried with a Polished Bliss Luxury Drying Towel. Waffle Weave towel used for wheels, door shuts etc.

- Tyres dressed with Meguiar's Endurance, exhaust tips given a quick touch-u with GTechniq metal polish.

Results:












This is what the car's all about to me. I can commute 230 miles a week in comfort, take it out on a wintery Saturday afternoon for a blast around some great roads and some ridiculous muck while seeing a lovely part of the country, then spend a Sunday afternoon cleaning and looking after it

Cheers for reading!