2007 Mini Cooper S

Conv JCW Convertible

4 - Cyl.

Manual

WMWRH33517TJ44249

Gasoline

For sale by the original adult owner-enthusiast, operated smoke-free, MINI dealership maintained to factory specifications, clean condition. Story Behind this Car: This car was purchased upon return from a year-long assignment in England where I owned the UK version of the 2006 Cooper S Convertible and absolutely fell in love with the car. So when I returned to the USA in 2007, I immediately ordered the US Spec 2007 Cooper S Convertible with every conceivable option available including the John Cooper Works performance package. I took delivery of the car on 09 June 2007. 2007 was the last MINI Cooper S Convertible model year offering the famous 1.6 liter supercharged engine, which when coupled with the JCW package, generates about 210 HP with loads of low-end torque and zero turbo lag, and the most pleasing and exhilerating exhaust sounds imaginable. This is definitely a high performance sports car; when pushed hard it drives like a race car, staying glued to the road like a go-kart in hard corners; yet when eased off it rides surprisingly quietly, even with the roof down, with all the modern commuter conveniences like GPS Navigation and Bluetooth Hands-Free Voice Controlled Phone. With the roof down and the back-seat wind deflector up, even at highway speeds, the wind only gently rustles your hair; and with the windows up too, you can hold a comfortable conversation, no need to yell. The aerodynamic design of the cockpit with the roof down is legendary. I am selling the car simply because based on my current commuting situation this is no longer the right car for me. But I will miss the unique styling and tremendous performance greatly. Condition, Maintenance Records and Transferrable Warranties: Total truth in advertising: The car is certainly very clean, well maintained to MINI factory specs by an authorized MINI dealership, mechanically perfect, but showing some normal wear and tear, and two minor flaws caused by two separate incidents elaborated below. Buyers will no doubt do their own calculus, but rest assured, absolutely nothing is being hidden by the Seller. Bonnet Crease Caused by Garden Tool Falling on the Car While Parked; In September 2008, at about 11,300 miles on the odometer, a garden tool hanging in the garage fell on the car while it was parked in the garage leaving a three-inch long, very shallow crease (dent) in the bonnet/fender above the driver's side front wheel well that is noticeable with the right angle of light but not penetrating the clear coat and certainly not the paint. I had a repair estimate done at the time by my servicing MINI dealership; the repair cost was estimated at $1490 on 01 October 2008. I opted not to order the repair because the flaw, however frustrating for a perfectionist as I tend to be, is so very difficult to notice. In the end I felt this high repair cost was simply unjustified for a car I intended to drive rather than keep it in the garage as a show piece. My insurance would have covered it, but then I expected I would have paid the cost of the repair several times over in premuim adjustments, especially considering the minor cosmetic nature of the repair. The high repair cost was simply because of the unfortunate location of the crease where there is no way to tap it out from behind, requiring an outside body filler repair method requiring the entire hood to be repainted. The repainting would require the racing stripes and clear-bra film to be removed and replaced as well, which was all factored into the cost estimate. Due to the curvaceous shape of the bonnet there are no easy transition points to hide a partial bonnet paint touchup. I have include a close-up photo of the area of the crease on the front fender with this advertisement but even in the picture you can't see it (it is approximately in the center of the close-up photo of the front driver's side fender). If you are a perfectionist, you may opt to have the body work done at a cost of about $1500, which has been factored into the Buy it Now price. Small Nick in the Windshield Rubber Gasket Caused by a Bird Strike: In December 2008, shortly after the garden tool incident above, at about 15,600 miles on the odometer, I struck a seagull at highway speeds crossing the Jamestown Bridge in Rhode Island but the result was only very minor damage, a very lucky break. The bird grazed the plastic ventilation grill at the bottom of the windshield on the driver's side, cause the grill to pop out (and get lost), bent the windshield wiper arm slightly, impacted the glass, yet causing no damage to the glass, then deflected over the top of the car causing no other damage. Due to the lucky trajectory, the bird missed the bonnet paintwork altogether; had it struck lower, it probably would have dented the bonnet; had it struck higher, it might have damaged the top of the windshield frame, radio antenna, or even the cloth roof. At highway speeds an encounter with a full-grown seagull is a harrowing experience, they are fairly large birds, but once again good luck prevailed in my case (but I am sorry to say the seagull was not nearly as lucky). The bottom line: The plastic grill was replaced and the wiper arm straightened by the MINI dealership so there remains no evidence of damage except a tiny nick out of rubber windshield gasket; the glass was not even scratched. Windshield Condition - Normal Wear and Tear: In the current condition, because most of the miles were highway driven in New England, there is some normal acid-rain and sand and grit erosion pitting and a few minor scratches on the windshield that can be annoying when the sunlight hits the windshield at the correct angle. If I were keeping the car forever, I would eventually replace the windshield for more comfortable viewing in bright sunlight, but there is certainly no serious need to. This condition is absolutely normal for a car with about 40,000 miles on the odometer. Wheel Condition - Normal Brake and Balance Weight Residue in Hard-to-Reach Places: There is some hard-to-reach brake dust residue on the wheels. Also, after the wheels were rebalanced at 29,000 miles, the wheel balance weight adhesive for the weights that were removed was not completely removed. While these are very minor cosmetic things, the condition is mentioned because the extreme sports car fanatic may feel absolutely compelled to remove all semblance of residue, which will take some elbow grease and a fresh coat of wax on the wheels. The wheels themselves are completely undamaged. When I had the wheels rebalanced at 29,000 miles, all four wheels were checked for roundness and wobbles and were all found to be in perfect shape. Tire Condition - Replacement, Rotation, Wear Record and Next Step: I have maintained the factory equipped Pirelli "Euforia" 225/45 R17 84V Run Flat tires on the car. These tires have a fairly soft compound designed for high performance. As a result of the soft rubber compound, MINI Cooper S front wheel drive, front-leaning weight distribution, and very strong engine, the front tires wear much faster than the rear tires. In fact, the first set of front tires basically wore out completely at around 29,000 miles while the rear tires hardly showed any wear at all. Therefore, at 29,000 miles I rotated the rear tires to the front, replaced the tires that were on the front, and installed them on the rear, to start a two-tire-per-15,000 mile rotation schedule. This way, you replace two tires every 15,000 miles or so rather than all four every 30,000 miles or so. This schedule was deemed better than a more traditional plan to even out the wear by more freqeuent front-to-back tire rotationse. While the net cost of the tires is about the same, my plan saves the cost of the more frequent rotations, plus the impact on the pocketbook for tire replacement is spread out rather than one large lump sum. By my current plan, the current front tires should be replaced at about 45,000 miles, which will roughly coincide with the next regular oil service. Of course, a future owner may also opt to replace the tires with ones with a much harder compound, trading off traction for less frequent replacement. As you can see, I opted for the traction and performance over longer tread life (as did the MINI engineers who selected these Pirelli tires for the car in the first place). Factory Service Record - Oil and Filter Changes; I have done all servicing in accordance with factory recommendations and the built-in condition-based maintenance monitoring system. I did not do oil changes more frequently than prescribed in large part because my MINI dealership has so adamantly recommended against changing the oil more frequently than the computer calls for. This is not because the additional oil changes would not have been covered under the free Full Maintenance Plan (now expired, only good through 36,000 miles), because I made it clear I would pay for additional oil changes if it made sense for significantly longer life of the car. MINI argued well to have faith in the sophisticated condition-based maintenance monitoring system that takes into account operating temperatures, number of cold starts, driving conditions, driving style, and the high quality of the factory-specified synthetic oil, plus the long term impact on the environment of unnecessary oil changes. As an life-long auto enthusiast, abiding by MINI computer-based maintenance recommendations has been a leap of faith, but suffice to say I have followed the MINI maintenance specifications to the letter. This maintenance schedule leap of faith is exactly like that of so many BWM owners, I'm sure. The computer has been predicting oil servicing about every 18,000 miles since the initial oil change at 11,376 miles. The oil was changed again at 29,187 miles and the computer is currently predicting the next change in 7,200 miles from now, or at about 47,000 miles on the odometer. Yeah, 18,000 miles seems like a long time between oil changes, but the oil looks normal on the dipstick and consumption between oil changes is indiscernible, that much I can attest. Other: The hood liner has a small hole where a mouse nibbled on it. This was inspected by the MINI dealership in October 2008 and they recommended not replacing the liner as the damage was so minor. It appeared that this was a one-time thing, the mice were not nesting anywhere in the car, and no other mouse damage was found anywhere in the car. At the recommendation of the MINI dealership, clothes dryer sheets were stuffed in the hole, which apparently acts as a mouse repellant, plus steps were taken to ensure no mice live in the garage where the car is parked. This first occured in the Fall of 2008 apparently when the car was parked at an airport and it has not gotten worse since. Bottom line: The original hoodliner was not replaced because the mouse nibbling is minimal and stopped way back when. Warranties: The car remains under the following factory warranties, transferrable to the new owner at no cost (in-service date generally 09 June 2007, except for the Roadside Assistance and the 3M Scotchguard warranties as indicated below, current mileage 39,789 miles): 4-year/50,000 miles bumper-to-bumper limited warranty. 12-year unlimited miles limited rust perforation warranty. 8-year unlimited miles limited emmision control devices warranty. 4-year/50,000 miles MINI Roadside Assistance Program (in-service date 05 July 2007). Dealer-installed 3M Scotchguard Paint Protection Film (aka "Clear Bra") Vehicle Owner Warranty good for 5 years from data of purchase (in-service date 04 June 2007), covers replacement by authorized installer if the film yellows, bubbles or cracks. Original installer was New Country MINI, Hartford, Connecticut, 3M installer Certification Number: 10033, Dealer-sold, after-market Protection Plus theft protection warranty valid for 5 years from the in-service date of 09 June 2007, which is is transferrable to the new owner at the cost of $50 if requested. This warranty covers certain car recovery and alternate transportation costs sometimes not covered by auto insurance if the car is stolen. Basically, the warranty indemnifies the potential failure of the anti-theft system inherent in the car. The Buyer is responsible for the $50 transfer cost above and beyond vehicle sale price if the transfer of the Protection Plus warranty is selected. Original Equipment: Factory Options: 0713 Cooper S Convertible (MSRP) 25,400 USD A63 Lightning Blue Metallic (Paint) 450 USD T6PN Black/Panther Leather (Interior) 1,300 USD ZCV Convenience Package 400 USD 319 Universal Garage Door Opener 431 Auto-dimming rearview mirrors 521 Rain sensor and auto headlights ZCW Cold Weather Package 300 USD 314 Heated mirrors and washer jets 494 Heated front seats ZPP Premium Package 1,400 USD 249 Multi-function steering wheel 345 Chrome line interior 473 Center armrest 534 Automatic air conditioning 550 On-board computer 674 Harman-Kardon sound system ZSP Sport Package 1,400 USD 210 Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) 2CM 17" 5-spoke bullet wheels (Performance) 520 Foglights 523 Xenon headlights 2TA Limited Slip Differential N/C 318 Interior body color (matching) 200 USD 329 Black bonnet stripes N/C 346 Chrome line exterior 250 USD 3AL John Cooper Works Kit (No. S16586) 6,300 USD 405 Door mirrors caps in chrome N/C 5AA Rear fog lamp 100 USD 609 Navigation system 1,700 USD Total Factory Options 39,200 USD Destination Charge 650 USD Total Factory Invoice (sticker) 39,850 USD Dealer Installed Options (New Country MINI, Hartford, CT): Bluetooth Hands-Free Voice-Controlled Phone 555 USD Chrome Bonnet Scoop 185 USD Panther Leather Shift Knob 45 USD Carpet Mats (4) 95 USD Driving Lamps 660 USD Wind Deflector 425 USD Invisishield Fog Light Kit 40 USD Slim Line Chrome Frame (License Plate) 56 USD Clear Bra (3M Protective Film) 599 USD Blue Ignition Wires 40 USD Strut Brace (Front Struts) 320 USD iPod Cable 310 USD Net Total Dealer Options 3,300 USD Total Original Equipment Price 43,180 USD Market Value Analysis: The car meets all criteria of "Excellent" condition defined by Kelly Blue Book with the exceptions noted in the condition descriptions above: Looks like new, excellent condition, needs no reconditioning, never repainted, no body work, no rust, clean title history, will pass smog and safety inspections, engine compartment clean, no fluid leaks and free of wear or visible defects, complete and verifiable repair records, still under factory warranties. Kelly Blue Book "Excellent" condition value is what the car would be worth if it was "perfect" and ready to drive away like new, whatever than really means for a car with 40,000 miles on it. Mileage and normal wear and tear is accounted for in the baseline Kelly Blue Book Value assessment. Further price adjustments are considered discretely for the noteable condition exceptions as indicated below: Kelly Blue Book Value (Excellent Condition) 27,255 USD Optional Bonnet Repair (MINI body shop estimate) (1500 USD) Font Tires Replacement Soon (full price) (500 USD) Windshield (optional/prorated for insurance estimate) (250 USD) Hood Liner Replacement (prorated estimate) (100 USD) Evaluated Fair Market Value (Private Sale) 24,905 USD Considering this analysis provides generous allowances for future maintenance costs as well as purely cosmetic repairs, which will likely be considered optional to all but the most avid MINI aficionado, the Buy it Now Price is set at the Evaluated Fair Market Value above. Buy it Now Price = $24,900 USD Title Transfer: Seller declares the I have an outstanding lien on the vehicle for significantly less than the Reserve Price. This lien is the remaining portion of the new car loan. Seller is agreeable to clear the title and have it ready for the Buyer in advance of vehicle delivery if full payment is made in advance, or as otherwise agreed between parties (based on other elements of trust that the sale will go through). Seller makes no guarantee of the exact turnaround time of the clear title, which is controlled by lien-holder (bank) policy, but estimates not more than five government business days once full payment is free and clear and transferred to the lien-holder. This turnaround time estimate is based on more than 25 years of experience with the bank in question. Alternatively, if the Seller desires to see and test drive the car first before finalizing the sale, the title transfer process will commence upon full payment and delivery, which will again take about five government business days. In this latter case, the Buyer's assurance of the title transfer after delivery and sale is secured by the Bill of Sale and physical ownership of the vehicle. Seller attests that I conducted a similar post-delivery vehicle title transaction in 2007 to the complete satisfaction of the Buyer, which was my only other eBay vehicle sale.