Look, I like the new MINI, I really do. Small, quick and they handle really well for a front driver. But over 40K?! Are they mental? Sure, it’s (yet another) special edition and all that, but that’s some serious coin.
First shown at the 2009 MINI United Festival in Silverstone, the MINI John Cooper Works World Championship 50, as its full name is known, has been built to honor the Cooper team’s first Formula One World Championship title with Black Jack Brabham at the wheel back in 1959.
MINI is making only 250 versions of this little guy. It is based on the MINI JCW and is motivated by the same 1.6-liter twin-turbocharged plant that puts out 211HP. It’ll do zero to 100 km/h (62mph) in 6.5 seconds and will top out at of 238 km/h or 148mph.
All the WC50s are finished in a new color named ‘Connaught Green’ that harkens back to the British race cars of the 1950s and 60s era, and, if you ask me, is a very pretty shade. Also on the outside you get roof and bonnet stripes in ‘Pepper White’ and 17-inch cross-spoke alloy wheels finished in ‘Jet Black’. Other exterior goodies include a JCW aerodynamics package, a glut of carbon fiber parts, such as the bonnet scoop, rear diffuser, exterior mirror caps and tailgate handle along, and also special insignias.
On the inside the ‘World Championship 50’s’ interior has been improved with even more carbon fiber trim overlaid by red touches and black leather seats with contrasting red piping. The red theme is also used on the knee-rolls, armrests and the floor mat stitching, gearshift and handbrake gaiters. There is also a new sports steering wheel with an Alcantara rim.
Supposedly there will only be 50 of the limited production run making it here to America, so yeah, it’ll be rare, but $40,300? But think of the used cars you could get for that? What sort of Porsche could you get for 40K. Shoot, you can get a Lotus Elise for that.
Source: CarScoop
