MINI SE Electric: Hood scoop or nah?

That would be a good possible use for the hood scoop, but there are no wires going to the hood. I plan to find the pedestrian alert emitter (a speaker, I expect) somewhere low in the front end. Because the pitch of the pedestrian alert varies with speed, I believe the SE's computer generates the waveform that is emitted by the speaker. I love the way Harry Metcalfe starts off his YouTube video test of the SE by reversing, then quickly zooming forwards to highlight the pedestrian alert sound.

 

I tried a quick duct-tape fix, but somehow it just didn't look right to me. This fix might have circumvented the waterfall when opening the hood after a rain, but I'd probably have to change the duct tape every year or so. That's too much trouble. So today I took my car to the body shop to paint and install the scoopless MINI Cooper hood I ordered. By Friday I'll have a MINI Cooper SE that looks like the one Design Studio MINI handed over to Marketing last year.



I was surprised to learn that BMW/MINI doesn't sell paint. Wouldn't they be able to charge double the price of generic paint for genuine factory Moonwalk Grey Metallic? I guess they think selling paint would be too much trouble--or else they don't want to see their paint on non BMW/MINI cars. So my favorite body shop will use their considerable expertise to match the paint, but it still might require feathering the hood color onto the fenders to insure it looks consistent.

 

LOL! I don't want flames coming out of my electric MINI!

The body shop promised they would feather-in the custom mixed-to-match hood paint onto the fenders so there will be no discontinuity. They don't yet know if the "one-time use" chrome headlight rings and MINI logo can be removed and reinstalled without damaging them. They are ordering the two stickers (emissions info and R1234yf air-conditioner refrigerant notice) that go on the bottom of the hood because they cannot be removed intact.

 

This morning I took a stroll downtown to the body shop. I probably shouldn't have because now I cannot un-see my distressed MINI Cooper SE.

It was a surprise to discover how much stuff (eg. side scuttles, grille, and bumper) the shop needed to remove to properly blend the newly painted scoopless hood in with the front fenders (and doors?). I guess I'm glad there will be no over-spray appearing on those removed components. Still, it's tough to see my week-old MINI Cooper in such a state of undress. I know, I know, it was my compulsive decision to exorcise the fake hood-scoop, not anybody else's.

I wish MINI would have taken the $1,500 I offered to have the less-expensive, scoopless hood installed before my car's body was painted. How would that switch be any more difficult than the zero-cost/zero-rebate sunroof-delete option they offer? If not for COVID-19, I might have been able to save money and get factory paint by flying to the UK and seeking out the right person at Plant Oxford to bribe.

 

Too late for this, but: how difficult would it have been to remove the fake scoop and replace it with color-matched plug? It wouldn't be seamless, of course, but would presumably cost less and require less disassembly/reassembly of a brand-new vehicle.

Business opportunity for somebody?

(FWIW, while I personally wouldn't have pursued a scoop-ectomy they way you have, I have to say that after seeing your taped-over version that I do think it looks good...it is sleeker, and compliments the filled-in grill.)

 

You are a smarter, more rational person than me. I can't really defend my decision, but I still don't regret it. I spent lots of time using Photoshop to simulate some kind of hood-scoop plug--nothing could match the simple beauty of the base MINI Cooper's hood. I also considered adding Knight Rider-style scanning LEDs inside the scoop to emphasize the electricity of my SE. Too gimmicky.

I should note that car-modding isn't a pattern with me. Every one of my cars has stayed just the way it came from the dealership until it went to its next owner. I put a Weber carburetor on my used 1975 VW Rabbit, but that's the full extent of my history of car mods.

There's a 3-cylinder base MINI Cooper living down the block from me and I've admired its smooth, beautifully sculpted hood for years. It wasn't until I started complaining about the SE's hood scoop that someone informed me that even the MINI Cooper S has a fake hood scoop. BMW's 1st-gen supercharged MINI Cooper S had a functional hood scoop, but after that, all fake.

I've been obsessing over this hood scoop since July 9, 2019, the day MINI unveiled the production version of the MINI Cooper SE. Because none of the pre-production prototypes had a hood scoop, I was convinced MINI had made the right decision, realizing that a hood scoop has no place on an electric car. I was very disappointed.

With every letter I wrote to a different MINI executive who didn't deign to reply, I became more committed. Only Oliver Heilmer, MINI's head of design responded. He told me he would take my suggestion up with his colleagues in Marketing. Evidently Marketing said nope.

Because MINI Coopers used to be very configurable, I falsely believed the company would accommodate my minor, easy-to-implement, money-saving request. But here I am, sitting at home while my week-old SE is undergoing surgery at the body shop.

My protest website is now a year old (I know because I renewed the domain name a few minutes ago). I've traded considerable marital capital to my wife for this silly obsession. After all that bluster, I'd look wishy-washy if I didn't go through with it.

I love the look of my MINI Cooper--except for this one unnecessary ornament. Soon it will be perfect and I will be sending photos to those executives who ignored my letters (and Mr. Heilmer, too). I will tell them how happy I am to have this fun, gorgeous electric car. I'll always be grateful MINI decided to sell the MINI Cooper SE in all 50 states, including non-ZEV Michigan.

 

I just lost my appetite...You must have nerves of steel.

 

Yikes. But since the entire front end has been disassembled now would be a good time to find the pedestrian warning speaker...

 

I'll ask the body shop to look for the noise-maker and take photos. I must admit in my brief 150 miles, I've come to like the SE's speed-sensitive pedestrian warning sound more the chorus of electronic angels singing out from under our Honda Clarity's hood.

 

@insightman - When can we expect to see post hood-scoopectomy pics?

 

Thank you for asking. I hate to go on-and-on about my Quixotic vanity project, but since you asked...The "3 to 4 day" job is now starting its third week! MINI Connected told me my SE was locked, so I assumed correctly that it was outside. So I walked about a mile to the downtown body shop and was happy to see the hood was in place, but still without the gorgeous MINI wings at the front. One of my problems with the hood scoop is that it overshadows the nearby MINI logo, which I believe should stand proudly alone on the hood. I'll get the complete story about the delay when I retrieve it, hopefully in the next couple of days.

 

I have to say that looks really good! Now let's see if you get slightly longer range.

 

Thank you for the update, @insightman! I look forward to seeing more of the finished project, because that teaser looks pretty great.

 

It required a month after I took delivery of my MINI Cooper SE, but today the hood-scoopectomy is complete! The patient is fully healed (with the mounting of the MINI hood emblem corresponding to the stitches being removed).

I am really happy. No, I am really, really happy! I firmly believe this is the MINI Cooper SE that head designer, Oliver Heilmer, turned over to Marketing. Then Marketing decided every "S" must have a fake hood scoop. Now I'll have to revise my year-old hood-scoop protest slide-show for the first time to show off my pride and joy.

 

SCHMOOOOV!!!

I applaud your patience and grit, @insightman, and those results are quite a payoff!