MINI: take delivery of
It’s not even been 4 weeks since ordering my new 2007 MINI Cooper S, but this morning I received a call from my MA (Motoring Assistant) to let me know it had arrived at the Checkered Flag dealership in Virginia Beach, VA. He gave me the choice of taking delivery this evening or waiting until Saturday morning. I said as long as it wasn’t too much of a rush I’d love to pick it up tonight……..
The afternoon dragged on a little, but I was soon home clearing out what was left inside my Cooper S Convertible. It’s surprising how many bits and pieces you find in your glove box and boot. The final thing to do was remove my Whalen Welsh Dragon Shifter Knob and replace it with the original stock shifter knob. There was no way I was going to let that go as part of the trade!
Anyway, before I knew it, I was at the dealership. Simon was waiting for the MINI to return from the shop where it was being prepped for delivery. We went over most of the finance paperwork while we were waiting, and then reviewed some of the newer features on the 07 model. I think I’d read about and studied most of them in the 4 weeks since I’d placed my order, but it was cool to review them in person all the same.
Well, the moment finally arrived and my new car was driven into the holding area for closer inspection. What can I say? It looked even better than I’d expected and was everything I hoped for and more. Simon gave me the tour and once again explained all the new features. We set up the Bluetooth connection for my cellphone (which was so straightforward by the way), tested all the electrics, CD player and radio. Simon slipped away for a few minutes and came back with a set of black rubber MINI S floormats (a nice surprise!) and 2 $50 gift certificates - one for me and one for my wife. This is the 3rd MINI (and also a BMW 3 Series) we’ve bought in the last 5 years so I guess we’re quite well known at the dealership now.
Now I can’t wait for the weekend to get to know the car a bit better and get MOTORING……
My MINI Timeline:
- March 2nd - Ordered at Checkered Flag, Virginia Beach, VA
- March 5th - Production started (Status code 150)
- March 8th - Entered body shop/serial # assigned (Status code 151)
- March 10th - Entered paint shop (Status code 152)
- March 12th - Entered assembly (Status code 153)
- March 12th - Assembly started (Status code 154)
- March 12th - Assembly finished/quality check (Status code 155)
- March 13th - Arrived at Port of Exit (Southampton)
- March 14th - Departed Port of Exit (Southampton)
- March 23rd - Arrived at Port of Arrival (Port Bayonne, NJ)
- March 23rd - Arrived at VPC (Port Jersey, NJ)
- March 29th - Arrived at Checkered Flag, Virginia Beach, VA
- March 29th - Took delivery!
One of the great things about buying a brand new MINI is the ability to track it’s progress almost from the moment you order it, right up until it arrives at the dealership. Josh Wardell has put together a invaluable resource for all prospective owners. There’s also loads more info at either of the following MINI web sites:
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May 4th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
Thanks for the link…and have fun motoring!