ALLGBMINI

… MINI NEXT that is, the MINI USA Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) program, which was put on “Toplis” by Herb Chambers MINI – thankfully, since otherwise I’d have only one year of warranty remaining! The MINI NEXT CPO program extends the original four year, 50,000 mile warranty, by up to two more years or a total 100,000 miles:

So, I’ll be warranteed till almost June 2011, which is pretty good! Any bets if I’ll have it that long 😉

As I mentioned before, there’s a few things that you have to be careful of with this extended warranty – because it doesn’t cover everything like the original factory warranty does! It’s worth carefully reading the brochure and noticing that body and interior trim is not covered, nor is the stereo system … and significantly for GBMINI#6, the convertible top is not covered either!

Of course it’s still better to have the engine, transmission and brakes covered till 2011, than not! I’ll just hope that any stereo or roof issues occur within the next year and not afterwards 🙂

I got confirmation yesterday from Herb Chambers MINI that everything was ready with GBMINI#6 (except removing the armrest, due to un-availability of the replacement part), so I headed in to Boston (in the R56) after work …
Ian & I went through the paperwork (not much, since it’s a no-cash “swap”) and then spent a while trying to find my lost iPod (which turned out not to be lost after all).

I was amazed to find that the “clear bra” hood / front bumper protection had been removed! Ian said that it was decided to remove it because it looked worn, but I really would expect to have been told about it, and maybe to have had a say in the decision 😦
Anyway, I jumped in and pulled out of the dealership heading home … first thing, the car locked it’s doors! That’s something I really hate, and I’d requested the feature be disabled, and been told it was done … so back to the dealership, where GBMINI#6 got “plugged in” to be re-programmed:

After that a very scary ride in the passenger seat 😉 while Ian reversed the car out of the tight spaces and down the ramp from H.C.MINI service, and then I was finally properly on my way home.

The convertible is so much better to drive than the R56; everything just feels “connected” to you, like it should – or, I suppose, like I’m used to in all the other MINIs I’ve owned. And the H/K stereo makes the R56 stock sound system seem like a ’70s pocket transistor radio 🙂
I also decided that maybe the armrest wasn’t such a pain after all – on the R56 it was really in the way, but in the convertible I only noticed it when adjusting the seat back angle (which I don’t do often), and getting coffee this morning (haven’t figured a solution for that yet, but it’s only a couple miles from Dunkin Donuts to work and of course I never “drink & drive”).

Here’s some more pictures of GBMINI#6: