MINI : Rolls-Royce’s input adds the glitz for Auto Shanghai

Keith Adams 

MINI Inspired by Goodwood
MINI Inspired by Goodwood

The most luxurious factory-built MINI ever produced will be unveiled at next week’s Auto Shanghai. The ‘MINI inspired by Goodwood’ is limited to 1000 cars and has been built under BMW Group partner company Rolls-Royce’s guidance – as a concept, the luxury sporting small car is a sound one, and it will be interesting to see if this will be followed up by a regular production model at the head of the MINI range. 

Trim colours, equipment and detailing have been conceived by Rolls-Royce Design’s Alan Sheppard, with a specially selected dashboard, central console, air vents, carpets, Lounge leather seats, roof lining, doors and interior cladding materials all in the company’s Cornsilk colour. Additionally, the dashboard and doorhandle surfaces, which are manufactured in Goodwood, are finished in Walnut Burr, a premium wood trim exclusive to Rolls-Royce. 

Equipment includes Xenon Adaptive Headlights, Park Distance Control, automatic air conditioning, an onboard computer and the audio system Radio MINI Visual Boost, which includes the Harman Kardon hi-fi speaker system. 

The most notable features of the exterior design are the body finish in the exclusive Rolls-Royce metallic Diamond Black colour and 17in light alloy wheels sporting a multi-spoke design. The ‘MINI inspired by Goodwood’ is powered by the Cooper S’s 1.6-litre 184bhp turbo, which should ensure a sub-8 second 0-60mph time. 

More about this striking Maxi-MINI as it’s revealed… 

Keith Adams
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14 Comments

  1. I know it’ll get slagged off here, but I’m sure they’ll sell them easily and super-luxurious Minis were an icon of the 1960s.

    However, why do BMW have to show such a car, which trades on its Britishness (from a marketing point of view), with German numberplates?

  2. @Mikey C
    Yes, you’re right about luxurious coachbuilt Minis being made in the 1960s – like the Radford Minis which were famously owned by members of the Beatles.

    I’m sorry but, at £50,000, this is ridiculously expensive for what it is – even if it is a special one-off and coachbuilt by Rolls-Royce. Who on earth would be willing to fork out that MUCH money for a MINI? They’re already expensive enough as it is for a small car.

  3. Yes, according to Autocar, this will have a list price of around £50,000! That’s a lot for a MINI, but I’m sure they’ll have no bother shifting the 1000 they plan to build.

  4. Where does the price of £50,000 come from? I have read the official Press Release and no price has been revealed yet.

  5. I think that, with all that facia wood and the chrome detailing, it’s a shame they’re not being badged as Rileys…

  6. This car is far more appealing than the unbelievably awful ‘Aston’ Cygnet – at least it’s not pretending to be anything other than a MINI with a posh interior and a vastly inflated price.

    I reckon they should offer it with a sort of wickerwork covering on the doors and rear wings and Peter Sellers’ face on the tax disc holder.

  7. A spiritual successor to the Radford Mini?

    @Mr_Bol
    I could see this car as a being targeted at similar market to the Cygnet i.e. as an almost disposable toy car for nipping across town and appearing environmentally conscious while the Aston Martin or Rolls-Royce is parked up.

    @Mikey C
    The MINI in the photograph is wearing German plates because MINI and Rolls Royce are German companies.

    British stuff just doesn’t look “cool” anymore, such is the power of the Ultimate Marketing Machine. Have you ever noticed the boy racers with Seats sporting (non-road-legal) German-style plates?

    Ironically, for a supposedly “British” brand, the rear door of the Clubman directs your rear passengers straight into traffic.

  8. Well, this looks nice but, if that £50k price is correct, it won’t get many buyers – at the end of the day, it’s still a MINI, no matter how dressed up it is and who dressed it up.

    They’ll have to bring the price down considerably if it is going to become a permanent fixture in the MINI range. Will there be Clubman and Countryman versions as well? They might make more sense, particularly the Countryman.

  9. @Antigoon
    The scoop on a MINI Cooper S is actually pointless – the engine has an FMIC rather than a TMIC but, that said, the first generation ones did have TMICs.

  10. £50k? Slightly less, then, than the the price of buying a bog standard Cooper S with all the option boxes ticked… 😉

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