A MINI with a Rolls-Royce touch

The two British members of the one big happy BMW family have put their heads together and the result we see here is the MINI Inspired by Goodwood, set to make its debut at Auto Shanghai 2011. What is it? Well, it’s a MINI Cooper S under the skin, but inside the cabin, you get to experience Rolls-Royce craftsmanship on a (pardon the pun) mini scale.

Prices have not been mooted, but deliveries will start in 2012 with a limited production run of 1,000 units, and you can bet there will be a little plaque nailed inside there somewhere with a production serial number. As per the Cooper S, power is delivered from the 184hp / 240Nm twin-scroll turbocharged Prince engine mated to a choice of two 6-speed transmissions – manual or auto.

To give the MINI Goodwood the Rolls-Royce ambience that its customers will undoubtedly pay a king’s ransom for, the R-R interior design team, led by Alan Sheppard, has flooded the interior with the same bespoke finish that you’d find in the Ghost and Phantom. There’s the exclusive R-R Walnut Burr finish lining the dash and doors. The steering wheel and centre-stack gets a high-quality Piano Black gloss finish, and even the instruments bear the traditional Rolls-Royce typeface.

Two colours are available for selection – Diamond Black metallic developed by Rolls-Royce design or Reef Blue metallic, which is an existing MINI colour. There are of course aluminium identifying badges stamped on the front fender and door sills. The front bumper is carried over from the Cooper S, but the bonnet is taken from the Cooper D, doing away with the Cooper S’ air-scoop.

Completing the (very expensive) package is an array of equipment that includes Adaptive Headlights with xenon light, Park Distance Control, automatic climate control, an on-board computer and the MINI Visual Boost Radio audio system including a Harman Kardon hi-fi loudspeaker system.

KON