First Look: 2012 Mini Cooper S Inspired By Goodwood
Does $400,000 seem just a bit too dear for that shiny new Phantom you spotted at your local Rolls-Royce dealership? We thought so. Thankfully, Mini, Rolls-Royce’s corporate brother and countryman (no pun intended) has an excellent way of delivering the luxury afforded by the Spirit of Ecstasy in a slightly more affordable package. It’s called the Mini Goodwood.
Named after the location of Rolls-Royce’s global headquarters and manufacturing facilities, the Mini Goodwood takes all the great things about the three-door Mini Cooper S, and infuses it with enough luxury to make an oil sheikh blush.
With consultation from Rolls-Royce, the Mini receives a hugely revised interior that is full of top-notch materials and colors. Rolls-Royce’s exclusive cornsilk beige is the dominant color in the interior, and is present in forms as diverse as leather (seats), cashmere (roof lining), and lambswool (carpets). The dashboard is refinished in fine black Nappa leather, while the multi-function steering wheel sees piano black accents. Finally, the dash is finished in real burr walnut. Exterior revisions include Rolls’ exclusive Diamond Black metallic paint, and unique seventeen-inch multi-spoke wheels.
Pricing isn’t available yet, but expect a fairly hefty premium over a nicely equipped Cooper S. Production will be limited to 1000 units, so if you are interested, get on the phone with your local Mini dealership.
Please scroll down for the official press release from Mini.
MINI at the Auto Shanghai 2011.
* 13.04.2011
* Press Kit
* UPDATE
MINI at the Auto Shanghai 2011.
MINI offers the most attractive and diverse model range available worldwide to motorists who seek driving fun, innovative technology and quality at the highest level also in the small car segment. As the world’s first and to date only producer of independently developed premium small cars, the British traditional brand is also attracting a steadily growing number of particularly discerning customers on the Chinese automotive market. From 23rd to
28th April 2011, MINI will present to those visiting the Auto Shanghai 2011 not only its further extended product range but also the most exclusive opportunity so far to experience typical MINI driving fun and a spectacular vision for the future of urban mobility. An exceptionally resolute manifestation of premium character is embodied by the MINI INSPIRED BY GOODWOOD, which will be making its world debut at the Auto Shanghai 2011. With the MINI Concept Rocketman, the brand-typical principle of creative use of space in urban road traffic conditions is reinterpreted.
With the market launch of the MINI Countryman and the new MINI family, Chinese car buyers now have ten different models to choose from. The first MINI with four doors and a large tailgate will be available in China in the guise of the MINI Cooper Countryman and the MINI Cooper Countryman S. There is also a choice of two engine variants for the MINI Convertible. Both the MINI and the MINI Clubman are available with three engine variants – MINI One, MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S.
Like the choice of engines, the diversity of the range of exterior colours and
the interior design features as well as the wide choice of accessories enable each MINI customer to choose a car that suits his or her very own personal style. The personalisation options are an essential element of the MINI brand’s premium character. Driving fun, which is guaranteed by sophisticated technology, is complemented by the excitement of owning an automobile that has been produced exactly according to one’s own personal wishes. At the Auto Shanghai 2011, MINI will be demonstrating new possibilities for targeted individualisation. The new product range MINI Yours comprises exclusive options for the exterior and interior design. A further highlight accompanying the launch of MINI Yours is, in addition to the world premiere of the MINI INSPIRED BY GOODWOOD, the Asian premiere of the MINI Clubman Hampton, which embodies the concept realised by MINI Yours in yet a further particularly concentrated form.
MINI INSPIRED BY GOODWOOD: highest exclusivity in the small car segment.
The MINI INSPIRED BY GOODWOOD is characterised by top-grade materials, the highest level of workmanship and stylish supremacy. Its exclusive character is the result of an exceptional collaboration. The special edition of the three-door MINI was built under the guidance of the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars designer team and transfers the unmistakable style of the British luxury car manufacturer to the equally unique original within the premium small car segment. The exterior and interior design features, which were conceived at the Rolls-Royce Design division in the southern English town of Goodwood, provide the model from the MINI Yours range with a fascinating charisma and an incomparably high-quality ambience.
Inside the MINI INSPIRED BY GOODWOOD, a harmonious colour concept, selected materials and a production quality characterised by precise craftsmanship guarantee the highest degree of well-being and comfort. The dashboard, including the surrounds of the central instrument and the air vents, the centre console, carpet surfaces, the Lounge leather seats, the roof lining as well as the door, side and body pillar cladding boast the exclusive Rolls-Royce colour Cornsilk. The dashboard and doorhandle surfaces, which are manufactured in Goodwood and finished in Walnut Burr, a wood quality also exclusive to Rolls-Royce, the black nappa leather dashboard top, Tipped Leather Cornsilk door linings as well as Piano Black surface finishes for the buttons on the multifunction steering wheel and the controls below the central instrument all provide additional quality-enhancing accents. In addition, the car boasts Cashmere roof linings, sun visors and rear storage tray as well as foot mats boasting a deep-pile lambswool quality also featured in current Rolls-Royce models. The most striking features of the exterior design are the body finish in the exclusive Rolls-Royce colour Diamond Black metallic and 17-inch light alloy wheels sporting a multi-spoke design.
The MINI INSPIRED BY GOODWOOD is powered by a l.6-litre 135 kW/184 bhp four-cylinder engine with Twin Scroll turbocharger, direct petrol injection and variable valve control. The power unit, which is featured for the first time in the new MINI Cooper S, impresses with spontaneous power delivery. At the sam time it is also the most efficient engine in its displacement class. Moreover, the MINI INSPIRED BY GOODWOOD’s range of high-quality equipment offered as standard also 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.
Traditional principle, innovative technology:
The MINI Rocketman Concept.
The fascinating concept car being presented by MINI at the Auto Shanghai 2011, demonstrates how the brand’s fundamental principle of creative use of space can be redefined by the use of innovative technology in the areas of body construction, interior design and Infotainment. The MINI Rocketman Concept, which will be making its debut in Asia, is being presented as a 3+1-seater with a unique spatial concept, 3 doors and a length of just over 3 metres. Its characteristics are oriented towards the multi-faceted demands of a modern target group, the mobility requirements of which are characterised by driving fun, flexible use of space and comprehensive networking with the personal living environment.
The innovatively designed interior of the MINI Rocketman Concept offers the driver, front seat passenger and further occupants a generous amount of space, also providing, if needed, a fourth individual seat at the rear. Furthermore, the newly conceived bodywork concept ensures comfortable entry and wide-ranging possibilities for loading. Thanks to sidesills integrated into the doors, the passenger entry area reaches far into the interior. The two-part tailgate consists of one section which is attached to the roof and opens extremely high and a lower section which extends out of the body in the form of a drawer.
The MINI Rocketman Concept body is shaped by an avant-garde interpretation of time-honoured brand features. A carbon spaceframe construction, whose striking surface structure is visible from the outside both on the radiator grille and in the interior, forms the basis for a weight-minimising construction. Inside the car, leather covers and high-gloss painted surfaces combine with armrests and trim strips made from a special paper that has been pressed and folded into the desired structure. The control concept for the MINI Rocketman Concept also highlights new approaches. The customary Centre Speedo houses a projection surface boasting 3D graphics presentation capability. The display is operated using both the steering wheel buttons and the integrated trackball. Furthermore, the MINI Rocketman Concept features a removable control element for all comfort and connectivity functions.
MINI Yours: the exclusive route to personalisation.
With the MINI, the MINI Clubman, the MINI Convertible and the MINI Countryman, the brand’s model diversity has also reached a new peak on the Chinese automotive market. Simultaneously, the possibilities to configure the vehicle according to personal taste are being continually increased. MINI is using its presence at the Auto Shanghai 2011 as a starting signal for a particularly attractive range of special equipment. The MINI Yours product portfolio being presented in Asia for the first time creates unparalleled possibilities to configure a MINI both according to personal preference and in the unmistakable style of the brand. These exterior and interior design options faithfully reflect the heritage of the brand and highlight the designers’ appreciation of premium quality and eye for creative ideas.
Among the features of MINI Yours are unusual paint finishes, upholstery variants and interior colours, stylishly compiled equipment packages and particularly attractive limited-edition models. In addition to the MINI INSPIRED BY GOODWOOD, the Asian premiere of MINI Yours will also feature the presentation of an exclusive edition of the MINI Clubman based on the MINI. The MINI Clubman Hampton stands out with its innovative colour and materials concept and top-quality specification, underscoring the character of MINI Yours in an additional, concisely harmonised configuration.
The special features of the MINI Clubman Hampton include the newly developed Reef Blue paint finish, exclusive light-alloy wheels and specifically designed seats in Lounge Leather upholstery. Inspired by a southwest London suburb, the MINI Clubman Hampton picks up on the tradition established by the success of earlier special-edition models like the MINI Park Lane, MINI Checkmate and MINI Convertible Sidewalk.
At a glance.
* World premiere: the MINI INSPIRED BY GOODWOOD.
With the MINI INSPIRED BY GOODWOOD, which will be making its world debut at the Auto Shanghai 2011, the principle of an unmistakable, exclusive and premium-quality small car is realised in a particularly concentrated form. The special edition fascinates with an exceptionally impressive exterior and interior design, which was conceived at the development centre of the British traditional brand Rolls-Royce in Goodwood. The MINI INSPIRED BY GOODWOOD, which was produced in a limited edition of 1,000 units, combines typical MINI driving fun with discerning craftsmanship, selected materials and a styling marked by typical British understatement of the world’s leading producer of luxury automobiles.
* Asian premiere: the MINI Rocketman Concept.
Compact on the outside, but big on the inside, the “creative use of space” principle so beloved of the MINI brand enters a new dimension with the MINI Rocketman Concept. As a 3+1-seater with a vehicle length of little more than three metres (approx. 10 ft.), the concept car being presented to the general public for the first time at the Auto Shanghai 2011 offers new and innovative ways of generating maximum interior versatility within the smallest possible exterior dimensions – and offering unbeatable driving fun in the process. The MINI Rocketman Concept once again brings the traditional principles of the classic MINI onto the road through the introduction of innovative ideas. The MINI Rocketman Concept captures the imagination as a vision of urban mobility in the future through features such as its innovative seating and door concept, groundbreaking technologies for connecting its occupants with the outside world, and the lightweight structure of its body. Thanks to a new interpretation of the characteristic MINI design vocabulary, both the brand affiliation as well as the vehicle’s degree of innovation are immediately recognisable in the design of the concept car.
* Asian premiere MINI Yours and Chinese premiere of the MINI Clubman Hampton:
Individuality is all part of the MINI character – and now the brand has introduced a highly exclusive new way of turning your car into a personally configured one-off. The factory-fit options from the MINI Yours product range combine quality and style with familiar MINI flair, helping to give the car a particularly expressive presence. Scheduled for launch in spring 2011, the MINI Yours range includes wonderfully expressive exterior paint finishes, upholstery variants and interior colours, as well as studiously configured equipment packages. Added to which, a limited-edition version of the MINI Clubman will be presented to mark the premiere of MINI Yours. The MINI Clubman Hampton embodies the unmistakable style of MINI Yours through carefully selected and precisely coordinated design features.
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