Hi all. I noticed at the weekend a very small, shallow scuff on the top corner of my rear bumper. I remember brushing it with my foot as I stepped over a charging cable to get to the boot so I only have myself to blame. It’s difficult to see but I know it’s there. I think it should disappear with some colour restore polish, but to save myself further grief I was thinking of getting a bumper protector. I wondered whether anyone else on the forum has one fitted. If so do you have any photos of it in place? I’m looking at this one which is from a UK based company but I assume there are variants all over. https://rgmautomotive.co.uk/product/rgm-abs-rearguard-rbp1365-mini-cooper-3-door-3-2021/ It should prevent any scuffs when loading stuff into the boot. I have an irrational hatred of fake carbon fibre and the silver wouldn’t work, so I figure I’ll go for the matt black plastic one as it will tie in with the wheel arches and lower bumper.
I did think about PPF for it but the plastic cover is a more robust solution; albeit a more expensive one. It’s easier to apply too, and it does seem to tie in with other matt black plastic on the car. I find that the flat top part of the rear bumper always seems to be the dirtiest part of the car, so maybe the protector will disguise some of the dirt
Thanks for bringing this up, @SpeedyRS. I did not even know about bumper protection. This is a great idea. Please let us know if you go vinyl or plastic. And how your selection works out. Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
It’s similar to that @Puppethead but the one in the link I posted only just comes over the edge of the bumper. The Cravenspeed one looks like it comes further down the bumper.
Like I said, hopefully it’ll disguise the dirt that sits on the bumper. It was raining this morning when I drove to work in a clean car. 90% motorway, 10% urban. No country roads. The first photo shows the sides of the car tonight and they look ok. The rear though is just filthy tonight. I’d hate to see what it would look like without the mud flaps!
Actually @Puppethead I was wrong. On closer inspection the one I posted comes further down the bumper than I’d like. The Cravenspeed one is more like the size I’d like, but it’s not available over here. I’ll see if I can find an alternative, or just try some PPF for a while and see how it goes.
When I owned a 997cc long stroke Cooper in the 1970's the boot ( aka trunk ) lid or rear glass, no wiper in those days, attracted much in the way of dirt. Fast forward 50 years and the rear of our E2, Fizz, is a dirt magnet. Any form of moisture in the air calls for the rear wiper to be on continuously. The bumper area is a complete disaster area which I doubt a pvc strip or cover will solve. Considering the developments in aero dynamics and wind tunnel modelling in the intervening years this is way off. Even with the "spoiler" on the rear, the amount of turbulance generated must be immense. I wonder how much effort was put into trying to minimise this at the development stage. Would a better profile, reducing drag, give a greater range to the mini in real terms. I am sure someone with more insight will be able to comment.
I agree with your assessment, the rear of my SE is always much dirtier than the rest of the car. However, I believe it would take a pretty radical air deflector to fix the problem with this boxy car. Hyundai with their Ioniq 5 and Kia with its sister the EV6 are confident the aerodynamics of these cars makes a rear wiper completely unnecessary. I'm skeptical, but you can see how such an aerodynamically sloped rear window would ruin the MINI's unique appearance.
^ I agree — I think the quick accumulation of copious amounts of grime is largely unavoidable with such a near-vertical backend, unfortunately. And multiple reviewers have complained about how sorely a rear wiper is needed on the Ioniq 5 because Hyundai’s plan for airflow to keep the rear window relatively clean has definitely not proven effective in real-world use. I thought before I got my SE, and have thought many more times since, that a fastback design would be most welcome on the Cooper for this very reason — but it would certainly no longer look like a Mini if they did.
I actually saw a MINI Coupé on the road today, it gives a sense of what an Ioniq-style backend might look like on a MINI.
This is why I loved our Pilot -- the boxy shape lends itself to much improved interior space. WRT dirty butts on the MINI, didn't get it until I got it. We've had 2 days of rain since I got my SE, and I was shocked at the $hit on my rear bumper each time. Also coated the hatch and rear window, so now I can expect this for the 4 days of rain we get in the East Bay each year. Will also avoid the urge to wash until I know we're clear skies for another month! (ok, I'll still wash it weekly until then)
Sometimes I use the hose and a wash mitt to give my SE a "hygenic butt wipe" without doing the whole car.
I noticed my mud flaps help and the rear is not as dirty like before.Reading different forum a guy proposed to drive a car on reverse as fast possible before you park in garage to dust off rear .
The MINI has motivated me to commit to the unlimited plan at the local no-touch car wash. Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
