Too many choices

My friend Vik and I went to the Mini North Scottsdale dealer today to see if I could resolve some questions about certain options:

1. do I want the checkered black cloth interior or upgrade to the Tuscan beige leather (a $1,500 option)?
2. are there seat fabric / leather options I might like?
3. make a decision on the external and internal chrome package
4. determine if the brushed alloy dash trim is what I want

Living in Phoenix, Arizona - we're always aware of heat, the sun and where the closest shade is. This is the primary reason I've chosen the pepper white body and top - trying to keep it cool. As nice as the other colors are with the black top, that's just asking for higher temps inside the car!

While at the dealership, I did (pretty much) decide:

1. the Tuscan beige leather is really nice, HOWEVER, they use a Cream White color line on the inside/door arm rest and I don't like the color difference and there aren't any others that look good. So, it's black checkered cloth for me. I did see several MINIs in the dealership with this and it appears that it will wear well and will breath and not be as hot as black leatherette or leather.
2. The problem is, there's only ONE light colored interior for the Clubman series. Looks like I need to start looking for some seat covers?
3. The internal chrome package is definately for me - looks very good for the cost. I'm not 100% decided on the external chrome package. Other than getting chrome side mirrors, there's not much to it.
4. I didn't get to see the brushed allow dash trim - none were available in the dealership, but the sales person said it was real metal and had a slight texture. Compared to standard checkered trim, the liquid silver and piano black that I saw today, I'm sticking with the brushed alloy.

Now - what I didn't intend on happening when going to the dealership was to start considering ANOTHER COLOR! I know, I know - I was so sold on the Pepper White body and top, but I've been eyeing the Sparkling Silver color in the configurator for a while. I got to see a MINI today in this color and it's a blend between silver and a sage - a really nice color! The problem is if I choose this color, my roof options are Sparkling Silver, Black and Pure Silver. The Pure Silver top, in my opinion, doesn't look good - so it's either black or same as the body. You know how I feel about a black top, so it would have to be same top and body color with the Black rear trim color. The Sparkling Silver is a metalic paint, so it's extra.

Decisions - Decisions - I think I'll sleep on it.

While at the dealership, the MA wanted to show us a customer's car that hadn't been picked up (so we could see the Tuscan leather). At first, he was going to drive us there in the golf cart, but couldn't find the key - SO - he decide to drive us there in a Clubman S! I chose to sit in the back seat so I could get a first had experience of the space. It wasn't bad actually! Even with the front seats all the way back, there was room. Mind you, I wouldn't want to ride back there for hours!

On the way to see the Tuscan leather vehicle, we saw a MINI that had been crashed. Not sure what it hit (or hit it) but it was almost a dead center head on. It was amazing how the front of the car crumpled so completely - yet the doors were still intact and operable and no broken glass! The windshield was cracked, but it appeared that was from the rear view mirror breaking off and hitting the windshield. The driver's airbag had deployed, but no others. It was very clear that the crumple engineering worked just as planned.

Well, I'm off to play with the configurator - I might post the two color options here on the site later just for comparison.