If you thought two special edition MINIs were enough, then you probably don’t know the German automaker all that well. Known for their bombastic flair and penchant for the out-of-the-box, MINI has released another special edition vehicle, following in the trail of the Baker Street and Bayswater models.
This one’s called the Highgate Convertible, and comes with plenty of special edition goodies befitting MINI’s quirky personality. For starters, the car has been painted with a new metallic hue - Iced Chocolate - and contrasted by brown and black bonnet stripes with blue edging. Should Iced Chocolate not suit your tastebuds, MINI’s offering two other color options with equally irrepressible names: Midnight Black and White Silver. The Highgate Convertible also receives a brown soft-top to go with a new set of 17" Double Cross light-alloy wheels.
Interior modifications for the special edition MINI Convertible includes leather seats dressed up in Dark Truffle with light contrast stitching and light blue piping. Stainless steel pedals are also offered, as is a Suntouched Brushed Alloy interior trim, and last but not least, MINI’s Chrome Line Interior package.
The Highgate Convertible is being offered on four trims of the Cooper: the standard version, the Cooper S, the Cooper D, and the Cooper SD. Sales for the special edition convertible begin in April 2012.
Months after the official unveiling of the new Mini Coupe, the company has decided it was time to "uncover" the Roadster version as well. Of course, everyone already knew what the new Roadster would look like with both the Coupe version and the Roadster Concept unveiled in 2009 making it on the scene before the Roadster.
To be honest, the Coupe and Roadster models are almost identical, except for the soft top, steeply raked windscreen, stainless steel roll bars, and the active rear spoiler that deploys at 50 mph. The new Roadster will be immediately recognized as a Mini thanks to features like the hexagonal contours of its radiator grille, the black border around the lower part of the body, chrome trim strips and surrounds, large circular headlights, vertically stacked rear lights positioned on the outer extremes of the rear end, and the eye-catching surrounds of the side indicators on the front side panels.
Like with the Coupe, the Roadster is powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine ranging from the base Coupe with 122 HP up to the John Cooper Works Coupe with 208 HP. The SD version gets a 141 HP turbocharged 2.0-liter diesel engine.
UPDATE 01/30/2012: Mini has announced the official prices for their new Roadster. The model will be offered in three different versions with prices starting from $24,350 for the Cooper Roadster, $27,350 for the Cooper S Roadster, and $34,500 for the JCW Roadster.
Hit the jump to read more about the 2012 Mini Roadster.
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MINI has never been the shy type when it comes to rolling out special edition models, especially when certain situations call for it.
As an official sponsor of the 2012 London Olympic Games, you can’t come up with a more ideal situation for a special edition Cooper. Heck, they even made two of them.
Joining the Cooper Bayswater Special Edition is the Baker Street Special Edition, a unique trim of the popular Cooper line that pays homage to London hosting the 2012 Olympic Games. Similar to the Bayswater model, the Baker Street comes with plenty of unique trims, highlighted by a Rooftop Grey metallic finish with special racing stripes on the hood, black mirror caps, and a new set of 16" alloy wheels. Optional paint finishes - Pepper White and Midnight Black - are also part of the package.
Inside, the Baker Street model comes dressed with unique seating surfaces with a Cross Check Rooftop Grey color for the dashboard and door trim and diamond pattern, light grey contrast stitching for the floor mats, gearshift/selector lever, handbrake gaiters, and seat tags.
The Cooper Baker Street Edition is set to be available on the MINI One, Cooper, One D, and Cooper D models with sales expected to begin in Spring 2012.
With the 2012 London Olympics drawing closer and closer, official sponsors like MINI are starting to get their publicity machines going with hopes of squeezing every last ounce of marketing potential that goes with being an Olympics sponsor.
In the case of the German automaker, the marketing initiative involves the release of two bespoke MINI Cooper models: the Baker Street Edition and the Bayswater Edition.
The Bayswater Edition comes with an exclusive Kite Blue metallic finish with optional Midnight Black and Eclipse Grey finishes available for the Cooper S and SD models. In addition, the special edition "Bayswater" Cooper also received special racing stripes on the hood and side mirrors, a black-finished roof, and a new set of 17" wheels.
As for the interior, MINI dressed up the special edition Cooper’s seats in leather with exclusive colors and two-tone stitching on the gearshift/selector lever and handbrake gaiters. The car also has "Bayswater" lettering on the seat tags and door sills, a Piano Black cockpit trim, stainless steel pedals, and MINI’s standard Chrome Line Interior package.
In addition to the Cooper S and SD models, the Bayswater Edition will also be available for the Cooper and Cooper D models with a sale date pegged for early spring of 2012.
AC Schnitzer has started the new year in style with a refreshing tuning kit for the new Mini Coupe with both exterior and interior modifications. In fact, this is the first kit ever produced for the small Coupe, adding one more desirable trait for the German tuner’s package.
Aside from the appeal of being the first tuning kit made available, AC Schnitzer has polished up the exterior with a new decor set available in various designs, with AC Schnitzer decal sets (several versions), a rear sticker stating "Technology & Design," and a rear skirt protection foil. The interior was also enhanced with a new gear knob with digital gear display, a new aluminum pedal set, foot rests, a "Black Line" handbrake handle, and velour foot mats. The final changes made to the aesthetics of the Coupe are the new 18" Mi 1 silver or bi-color wheels.
The biggest changes, however, were provided for the handling and driving characteristics of the Mini Coupe. The vehicle was updated with the use of a new limited slip differential, a stainless steel sports rear silencer with chromed Racing tailpipe trim, a new sports exhaust system, and a high performance brake system, consisting of 4-piston fixed calipers, slotted brake discs, a set of new brake pads, caliper mounting brackets, and steel brake pipes. These modifications can then all be combined with a height-adjustable racing suspension or an AC Schnitzer suspension spring kit, an aluminum strut brace, and a special antiroll bar for the rear axle.
In addition to the plethora of adjustments, AC Schnitzer has also stated that an upgrade package for the Mini Coupe’s four cylinder engine would follow shortly.
