MINI lifts lid on new cabriolet

[KenL]

I'm not a fan of the cabriolet or the R56...needless to say this doesn't exactly ring my bell.

What don't you like about the R56 then?

[AeroJonny]

Have i touched a nerve??

I'm not going to pretend to have driven one so I can't comment on that sound of things although the reported performance and economy figures are undoubtedly impressive. There are aspects of the interior I really like, I think it's nicely styled, but I don't like the built in stereo system as it doesn't offer the opportunity of an easy upgrade of the head unit(yes, I know all about mikey's stereo upgrade). Externally is where I find it a letdown...it just doesn't do anything for me. It sits too high, looks overly inflated and well, just a bit bland. This is just my opinion, but it's pretty obvious from what people say that I'm not unique.

All that being said there will more than likely be one in my driveway within 6 months (whether it's mine or my mum's is the debate). Really want dad to get a Golf R32 tho...yummmy

Don't ask me bout the crag top...I'll end up hurting mark's feelings

[vintageb3]

You won't hurt my feelings Jonny...aesthetics is an open book :)

mark

[AeroJonny]

I know mate, just havin a wind up:P Ken seemed to take offence, it's all just my humble opinion anyhoo

[weefossy]

We love driving topless, her and me, so we love the car. Saying that I have never loved the look of the car with the roof up, but when it's down it does get attention. We have never had any problems with the roof, but you have to accept it's cloth. On recent visit to Bentley at Crewe .......droooool....... their hoods wern't really any different or superior, they were still cloth and they will mark / look crubby when dirty.

Would I change what we've got for a new one? Not at this point in time.

[KenL]

I know mate, just havin a wind up:P Ken seemed to take offence, it's all just my humble opinion anyhoo

I did not take offence, just wanted your narrow-minded view on the R56

[AeroJonny]

time to type some random crap so i can say...

[Clare1]

See they are still going for the useles sunroof feature.

Wonder if the roof will have the "white marks" characteristic as well?

Don't think I will be buying one...would rather spend £20+grand on a better car.

mark

The ''White marks'' usually only appear after the car has been washed with too much soap on the cloth, and not washed off properly.

There is also a Roof Protection Solution you can buy from all MINI parts departments, it is recommended that its applied every 6 months to help prolong the life and looks of the cloth.

[vintageb3]

The ''White marks'' usually only appear after the car has been washed with too much soap on the cloth, and not washed off properly.

Claire...I have only met you a few times...and you have always been very pleasant and helpful. However the reading of your post annoyed me. I will explain why at the end of my post.

I see that you quoted me directly...so you are answering my post.

I would be interested to know who told you soap caused the white marks?

Is this your opinion...or a BMW opinion?

I have never used any soap of any kind near my roof cloth. I only use clean water on the cloth when washing the rest of my car. Soap...or car shampoo as I call it...will, over repeated washes remove the roof cloth protection so should be avoided.

On my last roof cloth, it had white marks above the window quarters (at the hinge) and where that area of white marks touched the seams on the back of the roof below the back window. If you have ever owned a Mini convertible you are likely to know where these marks are. I know people like Hogg88 know where these marks are...since he had them on all five roof replacements his car had. I assume that if the roof cloths had not marked...he would have not complained.

Here are some pics on a blue roof on the same car:

http://www.mini2.com/forum/attachmen...7&d=1117481428

http://www.mini2.com/forum/attachmen...8&d=1117481428

http://www.mini2.com/forum/attachmen...9&d=1117481428

http://www.mini2.com/forum/attachmen...0&d=1117481428

To be clear, these white marks are the roof cloth wearing due to the roof operation. This is how it was explained to me by a BMW technical specialist. He did not mention soap being the culprit.

My roof cloth was replaced because of white wear marks and the fact that at these wear points, holes had started to form.

I'm now on my second roof cloth. I was instructed not to open the roof for seven days after it was fitted. In fact, the roof was not opened for ten days and the car garaged without use for that period.

I used the roof four times over the next weekend and the second cloth marked within these four uses at the very same points mentioned above.

No 'soap' was used between the fitting and indeed to this date.

There is also a Roof Protection Solution you can buy from all MINI parts departments, it is recommended that its applied every 6 months to help prolong the life and looks of the cloth.

Can you give me written proof of this recommendation please? I'm not looking for what it says on the bottle. If this is a BMW recommendation on BMW paperwork or in a owners manual...can you please point to that?

I used this protection, it doesn't remove the wear marks or indeed holes. In fact it makes the wear marks look worse. The protection makes the cloth look darker...but only where the cloth hasn't been worn.

I asked the BMW technical specialist when and what I should use on my new second roof cloth. He told me that BMW don't insist you use anything. I was told by three service reps that the protection is "like a wax for your roof...BMW don't insist you use it. Some people wax their cars...other don't. The roof will be fine without it."

It would be nice to know who is actually right here.

I have not treated my roof as of yet, as the roof is only two months old...it has been washed every time I wash the car. I differentiate between the use of "wash" and "clean"

I'm waiting until the car is out of warranty in a few weeks and I will start using Raggtop cleaner and protection. This is what is recommended by HAARTZ the manufacturer of the roof cloth.

It is true, it is part of the design of the roof that it folds onto itself. It is therefore inevitable that eventually roof wear will occur. The sheer fact that this occurs after two days and four full operations of the roof mechanism...points out to me the design of the roof is poor and flawed.

What is your opinion?

Two years?...is that a reasonable amount of time for a roof cloth to last?

The reason I am annoyed with reading your post is this: I KNOW what the problem is because of my two cloth experience. The first cloth showed signs of wear (read as: holes forming) after two years and had marks when I bought the car....so it is likely that the next roof cloth will exhibit the same damage after the same amount of time. I planned to keep the car until it was rust, but now as you will understand, I'm faced with the big possibility of having the inconvenience of having a third roof cloth fitted...and also incur the expense myself for what is essentially a design fault.

I think the manufacturer should be paying for any new roof cloths that fail within five years.

You will understand that if someone knows what the problem is, and that point is agreed to by a BMW technical specialist and the problem then just shrugged off...it can be quite annoying to then read a post from a BMW employee telling you that you can't wash your car correctly.

I also feel that your reply was sales orientated. I posted a negative about the convertible...and you publicly announced that there isn't a problem with the roof...its a problem with customers not being able to wash their cars.

There are scores of people with roof wear problems...the Mini forums are full of posts about this problem.

Maybe all these folks can't wash their cars either?

I have also seen a copy of the BMW internal paperwork showing how to "repair" the roof problems. It starts with the words "Only if customer complains..."

As I said in my earlier post...I would rather spend £20+grand on a better car so I certainly won't be buying a new convertible.

Three reasons...the roof, the look of the 56. and the fact that I don't feel I should have to fight with a company to get my basic statutory rights.

mark

[ELFMAN]

This is going to be good...... I can see the BMW Newsletter headline.... “SOAP causes multitude of problems on MINI Convertible� . Yeah, and my steering rack replacement was caused by TERMITES!!

Clare, if only you knew the hassles Mark's had with his roof(s). MINIs are FAB, but they have FAULTS, and owners get mad when the faults are 'dismissed'. Although you've probably sussed that from Mark's reply.... Best of luck.