Official BMW/MINI Owners Club

[Mon the fish]

Don't know if many of you know, but there is a MINI register as part of the BMW Owners Club, so all MINI owners can join and get the benefits etc. Although very few do, probably unaware.

Currently there is no official MINI Owners Club (sanctioned by MINI/BMW that is), but there are moves afoot to possibly create one.

So would you join it? If not, why not? Genuinely interested in peoples opinions, I'm a member of each car club for each car we own - not necessarily an active member in them all though. Are you a member of car clubs for other cars you own?

[CiderFex]

Personally it wouldn't really interest me.
The main issue is that there are way too many MINI groups as it is and non will ever beat this one so I'm happy to be wi NMS as long as you'll have me here.
[emoji4]
We have two other cars and are not in any clubs for either of them, StreetKa and Insignia Nav Tourer 2.2 DCTi SRi.


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[Mon the fish]

In reply to both of you above - most car clubs these days try and make the club cost neutral, in that your membership fee is covered by savings you make from insurance/servicing etc. Is that not something you would find attractive?

Just to clarify - I'm a member of the BMW club (we have 2 BMWs and 2 MINIs) but have never been to a meet, and as it seems very central belt focused, will be unlikely go to one. But the club is a handy way of keeping up with news, plus the discounts etc.

I'm not trying to sell an owners club - this forum is far more active, and organises more runs than pretty much any club I know. Just wondering if an official MINI club would bring something else to the ownership experience

[badwolf340]

Did the official club route with a few different Marques of cars and always found that it left a bad taste ,as others have said if you do not have this type of model or a lesser model you are more than often left on the outskirts of the "meet" or ignored completely,the "unofficial " clubs that I have attended have always been more inviting and of the type of people that are more interesting and indeed more of a petrol head ,why would you pay for a membership to be ignored

[MINI William]

Not for me I'm afraid. My experience of an official club are not the best. NMS serves all my MINI needs with great friendly members, variety of events and a wealth of knowledge. Doesn't matter if you have a First or a Goodwood everyone is welcome.

[CiderFex]

In reply to both of you above - most car clubs these days try and make the club cost neutral, in that your membership fee is covered by savings you make from insurance/servicing etc. Is that not something you would find attractive?

But the club is a handy way of keeping up with news, plus the discounts etc.

Just wondering if an official MINI club would bring something else to the ownership experience

Im not too fussed about savings from being in a club, don't get me wrong I'm not loaded, but as I own own an older car I just do not buy OEM parts or use dealers of any kind for parts serving and repairs. I wish that I could afford to, but sadly, I can't.
I invariably buy aftermarket parts and have work done at a very trustworthy, decently priced and excellent local garage.
I personally just can not put a price on the fun, friendship and family I have made whilst being in NMS. There's no dramas, no back stabbing, no cliques, no bitchiness or any negativity in general which I can't see me finding in any other club, car specific, or not.
This club has a huge age range of owners, and a massive range of models owned, and everyone treats each other with respect and kindness which is amazing in this day and age of keyboard warriors.
A few know my thoughts and feelings about this club and that I have a "1%/99%" philosophy about it. 1% is actually about owning a MINI, 99% is about the people who have now become friends and family.
Long may NMS continue to be a fantastic forum/FB group. Others will always try, but fail, to be as energetic, passionate, friendly and as helpful as the members of NMS are.

Ramble over.

Enjoy and be safe.
[emoji4]


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[MINI William]

Im not too fussed about savings from being in a club, don't get me wrong I'm not loaded, but as I own own an older car I just do not buy OEM parts or use dealers of any kind for parts serving and repairs. I wish that I could afford to, but sadly, I can't.
I invariably buy aftermarket parts and have work done at a very trustworthy, decently priced and excellent local garage.
I personally just can not put a price on the fun, friendship and family I have made whilst being in NMS. There's no dramas, no back stabbing, no cliques, no bitchiness or any negativity in general which I can't see me finding in any other club, car specific, or not.
This club has a huge age range of owners, and a massive range of models owned, and everyone treats each other with respect and kindness which is amazing in this day and age of keyboard warriors.
A few know my thoughts and feelings about this club and that I have a "1%/99%" philosophy about it. 1% is actually about owning a MINI, 99% is about the people who have now become friends and family.
Long may NMS continue to be a fantastic forum/FB group. Others will always try, but fail, to be as energetic, passionate, friendly and as helpful as the members of NMS are.

Ramble over.

Enjoy and be safe.
[emoji4]


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Thank you for the kind words regarding NMS and those who make NMS Pete

[CiderFex]

Thank you for the kind words regarding NMS and those who make NMS Pete

No probs William,I just say as I find.
[emoji1303]


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[Mon the fish]

Interesting responses so far, thanks guys. Disappointing to hear about the poor experiences with clubs, as someone who runs part of a club I'd be mortified to think that that was the perception or experience of my club

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[a11y]

You mean https://bmwcarclubgb.uk? No, not a member. I'm aware of it having owned 2 BMWs over 8 years prior to MINItime, but at the time I was involved with another owner/enthusiast club/forum which was enough for me. TBH for the £40/45 annual membership I can't see much benefit that excites me. So ah'm oot.

I've always been involved with an owners club/forum for whatever I've owned: cliosport.net (back in the early 2000's when it was great with decent runs very akin to NMS), type-r-scotland, seatcupra.net, etc. Best was buying a Z4 and signing up to z4-forum and starting off the Scottish runs - those were superb and to this day I still meet up with friends from there. I signed up for e90post with my 330i after the Z4 but never took to it - too many bellends, willy waving and no runs.

What did the best clubs/forums have in common? Decent, normal, friendly folk and well-planned (mostly - we won't mention not getting on the ferry at Mallaig...) runs. Car make and model? They don't matter. From my limited contact with folks here so far, I'd say that sums up NMS too, except we all seem to hold onto MINIs than moving on :D

I naively thought - when joining NMS - that I'd get along to meets, get out on loads of runs, basically back to what I had with my Clio/Z4. Guess I was being unrealistic given I've a young family and other interests. I know NMS is quite an established, close-knit club/community so am happy enough to stick around here on the fringes and see what happens as the kids get older. Just can't see my having time for another club like the BMW owners club.

Ally

[EcosseGP]

I'm afraid I'm a "NO" too.

I agree with others comments on here so far there appears to be clubs within clubs popping up. I'm all for sharing/getting information but do too many clubs dilute the information and also frustrates people trying to search numerous sites/forums just to find the information or advice that they're looking for.
Having been a member of a number of car clubs in the past I've found that some are full of people that haven't shared the same common ground as me.
I know that we can't/don't like the same things but NMS ticks all the right boxes for me. As Pete rightly said the club is more people focused over car focused however we all share the same starting ground "The New MINI".
You could pick up the phone or contact most of the members within the club and ask for help with something and I'm sure they'll assist without even batting an eye. Could you do that with a larger "general" club?
Having been luckily enough invited into the heart of the club I'm happy to do what I can to make NMS move forward and help the members as best I can. I'm not sure that I could feel so involved in a larger general national/international club.
NMS asks for nothing from its members other than you enjoy the club and get involved, however consider the costs and time involved in running this club.
I wouldn't pay £40 a year to be part of a club that I had a partial interest in would anyone else ?

[chillax]

Although im not exactly a very active member in the forum/club, i do browse the forum a lot. Not been to a run yet but did meet william and andy and found both really helpful, friendly, knowledgeable and above all, totally enthusiastic about their minis. To me, thats the most important elements for any car club/forum. Would that be diluted if we were to join forces with another (paid) club? Absolutely in my opinion.

As the owner of my own car club/forum which i started over 7 years ago, ive seen all the good and bad that happens with forums. Ours ix a small forum dedicatec to the 1990s honda civic 5 door (the "no its not a bloody rover" style!) and aerodecks, so a pretty niche club. its run pretty much the same as nms, and has the same friendly helpful kind of members. we have been asked a few times by different sites if we want to join forces, and also had companies such as autocar (who go around buying car forums) but have always declined. ive seen first hand what happens to really great clubs when tbey either join forces or get sold.........the passion and magic goes. For the ones who join forces, theres the constant power battle between the original site owners/admins, which always ends badly. and even though two become one (yeah, spice girls! lol), you find that the members from the two clubs always stick to chatting with their particular clubs members, which again just causes divide.

when you find a decent little forum, it tends to outlive all the bigger popular ones. i was told by a certain honda forum that my car sucked cos it was a 5 door....wasnt a proper honda.....and my idea of starting my own forum for these civics was z crap idea that would never catch on or last. couple of years later, that site was gone! and that was one of the so called popular sites. it was kleaky as hell, with loads of bitching.
Because oyr forum was run with a friendly helpful mindset from the start (just like here) weve stood the test of time. yeah, the forum we have is quiet nowadays, but it has new members constantly joining, and our old members stay with us, even though some dont even have their civics anymore. Thats what grezt clubs do.

so keep nms as it is......its great.....it works......and if ut aint broke, then..............

ok, my first book completed lol

[Mon the fish]

^^^ I wasn't meaning merging clubs or anything like that, it was more the individual decision on whether to join a club or not I was meaning

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[chillax]

ah, sorry bud, thought there was a possible mrge coming. if theyre charging to join, then id be inclined to say no, i wouldnt join.

[MINI William]

No plans to sell NMS or to merge it with another club