Woodcliff Lake, NJ – April 14, 2010… In response to high dealer demand, MINI USA will offer a limited number of the MINI John Cooper Works World Championship 50 special edition vehicles in the US. 50 of the hand-built vehicles will be delivered to US dealers, beginning late spring / early summer.

The special edition model was first shown to the public during the 2009 MINI United Festival in Silverstone, England. The worldwide production run has been confirmed for just 250 vehicles.

Inspired and influenced by John Cooper’s son, Mike Cooper, the limited MINI special edition is a tribute to both the birth of the brand and John Cooper’s first Formula One title victory 50 years ago. Both were revolutionary and triumphant: in the summer of 1959 Alec Issigonis presented his concept for an all-new small car, with its transverse-mounted front four-cylinder engine, and space for four occupants plus luggage. That same year, sports car constructor John Cooper won his first Formula One World Championship title with Jack Brabham at the wheel.

Based on a MINI John Cooper Works Hardtop, the World Championship 50 vehicle is painted a special color called Connaught Green, harking back to the famous color of British race cars of the 1950s and 60s era. It is combined with the roof and bonnet stripes in Pepper White. The vehicle is then equipped with the John Cooper Works Aero Kit, gloss black versions of the 17” Challenge spoke wheels, custom numbered side scuttles, a unique Championship Red Lounge Leather interior and carbon fiber accents throughout. It also features special floormats with red stitching that matches the red stitching found on the shifter and parking brake boots. John Cooper Works’ signature adorns a special plaque that is affixed to the instrument panel trim.

MSRP for the MINI John Cooper Works World Champion 50 Edition will be $39,600; Destination and Handling costs are $700, for a total cost of $40,300.

• 01.04.2010
• Press Release

* Revolutionary new paint system allows quick, unlimited exterior color changes on the new MINI
* Now owners can change paint color to match their mood – in minutes and as often as they like
* A fast, simple route to infinite MINI customization options
* The ultimate in automobile personalization will become available on the MINI Clubman

Woodcliff Lake, NJ – April 1, 2010… MINI, a leader in the manufacturing of customized vehicles in volume, is set to take automobile personalization to a whole new level with a revolutionary paint system that will allow owners to change the exterior color of their vehicle as often as they change their mood.

The ground-breaking MINIMagic paint system, exclusively available on MINI Clubman, will give MINI owners the chance to completely change their MINI’s exterior color in only a few minutes and with just the effort required to apply a single coat of wax – a world first for an automotive manufacturer.

The MINIMagic paint system will be available with any of the Clubman’s stunning paint colors, starting this spring.

“The introduction of MINIMagic on the MINI Clubman will transform the way owners select the exterior colors on a new MINI, and offers even more options to personalize a MINI to individual taste,” said Jim McDowell, Vice President of MINI USA . “Gone are the days when our customers need to worry about whether they have made the right choice of paint color. With MINIMagic, if they change their mind altogether, or just want a brief transformation of their MINI for a few weeks, it can now be done as simply as changing a shirt or rinsing your hair from blonde to brunette!” he added.

The new, innovative range of MINIMagic paint finishes are first applied at the production facility in Oxford, United Kingdom, as the first stage in a two-part process. All it takes for the customer to activate an on-demand color change is a simple application of the second part of the process – a quick wipe over the painted surfaces with the patented MINIMagic paint polish. In minutes, the transformation – from Light Coffee to Cosmic Blue for example – can be completed.

The permanence of the color changes can be selected by the customer, with three different second-stage polishes available – one month, six months or permanent. If left alone, the one-month and six-month paint finishes eventually revert to the vehicle’s original paint color, a process that happens in just a few hours at the end of the chosen period.

The MINI Clubman is one of the most customizable vehicles on the market with over 500 exterior and interior color and trim combinations possible, and even the facility to change the interior ambient lighting to match a mood or an occasion. With each individual package and options, it will be possible for customers to literally build a one-in-a-million MINI Clubman.

Professor Lirpa Loof, Head of Exterior Aesthetics and Paint Finishes at MINI USA, said: “MINIMagic will bring a whole new meaning to the concept of car cleaning and restoration. As easily carried out as a wash and a wipe, our owners can have a ‘new’ MINI Clubman that is capable of matching any atmosphere or any occasion.”

The MINI Clubman, exhibiting some real ‘MINIMagic’, can be seen on the MINI display from April 1st during the New York Auto Show, held at the Jacob Javitz Center in New York City.