The Goodwood name look set to become Mini’s flagship brand for high-end, customer-specified luxury versions, company sources have revealed.
The long-awaited super-luxury ‘Mini Inspired by Goodwood’ was unveiled at the recent Shanghai show, a venue that reflects the likely importance of the Chinese market as a sales destination for the car.
The Goodwood badge is set to be used on other luxurious Minis in the same way that the John Cooper Works badge represents its high-performance models.
Limited to a run of 1000, the Goodwood will go on sale from spring 2012 and will, say BMW sources, cost 47,000 euro in mainland Europe, which is expected to translate to around £42,000.
The Goodwood comes in a single specification in either the Rolls shade of Diamond Black metallic or Mini’s Reef Blue metallic. Oddly, the cars will not be individually numbered but instead have a console plaque with the legend ‘One of 1000’.
Read more on the Rolls-Royce Mini
Mini says the Goodwood has been designed “in close collaboration” with the Rolls design team at the Goodwood factory and reflects “typical British understatement”. Overseen by Rolls-Royce designer Alan Sheppard, the Goodwood interior uses the same materials and suppliers as the interiors of Rolls’ own cars.
The entire dashboard, centre console and seats are finished in Rolls Cornsilk leather and the dash’s wood veneers come from Rolls. The Rolls-Royce typeface is also used on the instruments.
Under the skin, the Goodwood gets the 1.6-litre, twin-scroll turbocharged, 181bhp Cooper S engine and either a six-speed manual or a six-speed auto ’box. Adaptive xenon lights and a Harman Kardon hi-fi are standard.
Hilton Holloway
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