Hi I just registered here this is the 1st post. I've been driving MINI's since 02, My first was a "Boat Car" purchased a 02 MC. I was on the waiting list for 18 months, and took the 1st one available, he was #77 imported into the US the first ones at Cincinnati MINI came with a tee shirt with your import # on it. Drove him for 9 months, and sold him for $300 less than I paid, and took delivery of an PW 04 MCS. In 08 my wife ordered an CR 09 MCS, with the past history we have had with MINI's we thought we would have the same experience, the car was nothing but a maintenance nightmare, decokeing the valves every 5k,oil uptake failure caused the turbo to explode on the way to the Dragon, the AC would quit working as soon as June rolled around, 2 compressors in 16 months, but only 1 power steering pump was replaced, in the 24 months we had the car. Just before the warranty ran out she traded it in for a 5 series BMW. When Lucy was totaled I knew I wanted another MINI, but not one of the new ones with the French motor. I must have looked at 1k MINI's on the net, and test drove 50 R53's most were worn out, no maint ever done to them, high mileage jobs, in the 3 states around Ohio. I found Morris @ a BMW dealer less than 2 miles from my place, the carfax on him showed that he was in for maint regularly, and has nothing but a brake job done in 10 yrs, he looks brand new and drives wonderfully. Love the Supercharger whine and no Turbo lag. I hope he lasts as long as Lucy.