There's a thread over at MF on the new JCW Pack & the 2011 JCW tuning kit. Some people were complaining, as usual, that the option to have a JCW pack now makes "lowly MCS's" (my quotes) look like JCW's and that's not right/fair/proper. I've commented over there, but wanted to get constructive feedback on this question. The comments, to me, felt like "hey I paid more for my car and people should be able to readily tell this." I can understand exclusive to a degree. GP and WC50 owners would be rightfully upset if their color options were offered. Don't really see why you'd be upset that a Justa can get the JCW bodykit when you know it's a possibility going in. Anyway, I guess it caught me a bit off guard as I've felt the community is pretty inclusive and this seemed like an arbitrary division. What Say ye?
It's MF. 90% of the comment section on that site consists of whiners complaining about one thing or another.
You'll note there is no JCW badge included in the kit. It is all sizzle without the steak. All these bits have been available ala-carte from the parts catalog. So now they have a kit that has it all in one place with a little better pricing. Nothing different than what BMW is doing with the M Sport Packages.
I'm all for being inclusive. I don't see why one model owner needs to feel superior to another. I think that the JCW tune kit is a nice way of modding your MINI while keeping it to factory specs for warranty and resale even. Following the logic of some of the factor JCW crowd, MCS owners would then be somehow better than 'Justa' owners.
Yea, I've noticed that. I saw your comment on MU about the complaining, something along the lines of "waaaaaahwaaaaah these door handles are horrible with my bread loaf like hands." MU & M/A should really comment more on MF and I'm done with the acronyms lol. Exactly. I guess it's just how you look at things. Clearly some people expect their purchasing power to dictate.
I think what you are seeing in these responses is the reaction of those who are overly concerned with what others think of them. Marketing feeds this snob appeal. Take for example the labels on the outside of our clothing that may be interpreted, "I paid $75 for my jeans!" So we can make the Justa look like an S, and we can make the S look like a Works. Where does it end? And this is nothing new. When I was a teenager, guys where putting Cadillac wheel covers on whatever they had. (I have to acknowledge that didn't make a Chevy look like a Caddy.) Enough for now - I think you get the idea.
You have to remember that MotoringFile has a different audience than a forum like Motoring Alliance. Most folks on MA could glance at a MINI and go "hmmm... custom end links and is that a 19mm swaybar instead of the stock 18mm bar? Nice car". The regular public will have no clue what makes for a modded MINI unless it is stickered-up. I can see that the JCW folks might want more flash for their $$$. Since you can get most of the same power (at least for the R53s that I'm more familiar with) using non-JCW parts for 1/2 the price, they need to find their value somewhere.
Least there is no badge included.... Its like when Mustang Gt owners add an SVT badge... I dont care how much faster you've made your GT over an SVT... not worthy of badging it as such. A GP or WC50 is like a Saleen... God forbid you put a Saleen decal/badge on anything but! Overall I think you can make anything look like anything you want (justa to JCW), just dont go claiming it as one (with badging namely)
At the same time, JCW is(was?) a garage or tuning company originally. Before they made it an over-priced factory option, a MINI was considered JCW tuned when you bought the separate tuning kit or even just used some JCW parts. Kinda like the hamann, ac schnitzer, or Dinan badges on BMWs. The badges were meant to signify that you had some kind of part or kit from those companies. They just happened to start selling the JCW as if it were a new performance model rather than a little upgrade. It was a marketing move, partially to justify the high price tag. You're more likely to sell them if you're telling people they are getting a special performance model rather than just selling them an MCS that happens to have a HP boosting engine kit. Add a few low cost details (red roof or whatever) and all of a sudden an overpriced engine mod kit can be justified as an all new model. I liked JCW better when it was a borderline-aftermarket garage meant for the JCC cars where you could buy engine kits with roll cages.
So what their winning about is that my 06 S with the JCW kit from factory is not the same as an 2011 'JCW'? There's a heck of alot of real things to complain about in this world than that kinda stuff .
I think one response is to pity the poor owners of MCS cars with JCW body kits. All show and no go. They paid all that money for extra plastic, and they don't realize how tacky it is. On the other hand, I've seen some MINIs out there that raise tacky to a new level, so I'm not really that surprised and not at all offended. It's analogous to every E36 with an M front bumper and every Honda Civic with a "wing." The bottom line is whether the owners love their cars.
+10 HP and 20 Vin Diesel Points! Yeah Boooyyy! LOL! Along the lines of the Mustang thing (Being that I've owned two) I have to agree. Put whatever body kit or mods you want on the car just don't lie about what you have with a fake badge (Roush, SVT, Saleen, etc...). I call'em "car liars". Case-in-point: I make fun of my buddy with a 2000 V6 Camaro because he got factory Z28 badges to put on it and tells everyone he has a Z28 when he's got a base V6 with the Z28 body kit & badges. Why? Heck, he should be proud to have the V6 because he doesn't have a mullet...
Doesn't every car enthusiast have these people? It's like putting a "BMW" or "M" badge on a MINI (Oops? Did I say that out loud? )