MINI drops hi-fi, yellow, a string and a ball for 2010

MINIs produced for the UK (and no doubt, other international markets) from the first week of September will, as is usual with every model year, have a few differences between those currently on sale. According to sources, several changes, most of which are relatively minor, will come into play for the start of the 2010 model year.

First, and most obvious, is the deletion of the short lived Mellow Yellow colour option. Mellow Yellow came in with the second generation MINI in 2006 as a slightly brighter yellow following the demise of its custardy predecessor, Liquid Yellow. Now only the slightly green Interchange Yellow remains available, and that is currently a MINI Convertible only option.

From this time, further changes in the MINI colour palette will also take place. Nightfire Red will not be available on any MINI other than the Clubman, and in a slightly unusual move Pure Silver Metallic will be deleted as an option for the MINI Cooper S. Not that you see many Pure Silver Cooper S models anyway. The Limited Slip Differential will also be removed as an option on the MINI Cooper S.

More colour choices will be made available to would be owners speccing up a MINI John Cooper Works. Horizon Blue and Sparkling Silver will be available to order for all variants of John Cooper Works (Hatch, Clubman and Convertible) while Hot Chocolate and Interchange Yellow will be new options for the Clubman and Convertible respectively.

There has been some confusion of late as to what MINI is doing with their tyre choices. Cars have been arriving with customers with runflat and regular tyres in disconcertingly unclear fashion. From September this should be much more clear cut. MINI is discontinuing standard run-flat tyres for all models. Instead, all new MINIs will come with the “MINI Mobility System†(air compressor and goo kit in layman’s terms). Run flat tyres will still be an option, but only for vehicles with 16″ wheels and above, and at a cost of £75.

This is an interesting and perhaps somewhat controversial move by MINI. The runflat tyres with which MINI was, to some extent, a mainstream pioneer, have long been touted as offering improved safety and convenience. It has also been said that with the first generation MINI the suspension was tuned for conventional tyres, and the late addition of run-flats to the specification caused issues with over firm ride characteristics. To counter this, the second generation car was designed with the firmer sidewalls of runflat tyres in mind from the get-go. If this is the case, do MINI risk an overly squishy ride when they drop the runflats for 2010? Time will tell.

The 2010 model year will also herald the across the range return of an optional Harman/Kardon sound system. Replacing the MINI Hi-Fi as the top of the line, optional sound system for your MINI, the Harman/Hardon system incorporates 10 speakers and has been tailored to the specific acoustic requirements of each MINI model. The system also boasts an integrated Harman/Kardon DSP amplifier with an output of 480 watts.

Other interior trim tweaking includes the backs of the MINI sports seats changing from plastic to cloth, and the seat memory function only operating on the base position, not the seat back position as it does today. Cosmos Cloth will no longer be an option for Sports Seats, but a new combination of Tuscan Beige Gravity Leather with Colour Line Dark Grey will become available to order.

For Convertible owners, good news comes in the shape of the comfort access option. From September 2009 this will include functionality to close the soft top. This is something many convertible owners have been wanting and will no doubt be pleased to see becoming available.

A few cutbacks to the specification are also present in the 2010 update. For example, the MINI Clubman rear split doors will no longer feature puddle lights, and the Storage Compartment pack will come with two separating boot nets as opposed to three.

Two new packages will be introduced across the MINI range, the Media Pack, including Sat Nav, Multi Function Steering Wheel, Full Bluetooth, Voice Control and Arm Rest. The second package, the Sport Pack will be available for all models excluding the MINI John Cooper Works, however we’ve yet to see final confirmation of what this will include, and at what price.

While prices across most of the MINI range will remain static, the MINI One will increase by £40, due to full size hubcaps becoming standard fitment on that particular MINI model.

And last, and in all honesty probably least, a move that both baffled and tickled us all at once. The rear parcel shelf in hatchback MINIs will be held in place with not two, but one “ball and string†retaining chord. How odd. But if true this little modification must save pennies per car, and probably made an accountant somewhere very happy indeed.

From: theSwitchback - MINI news and reviews from the UK

 

I'm going to go with cost savings as they have that e-diff thing that they are using BMW's and I think some MINIs. For 99.9% of the people out there the e-diff is fine. For the hard core track guy using the brakes to limit torque to a wheel is going to mess with the balance.