MINI Inspired by Goodwood: The MINI Rolls Royce arrives

MINI Inspired by Goodwood - the MINI Roller arrives

The MINI by Rolls Royce has been coming for a long time. We first spied the Rolls Royce MINI back in 2009 and even then we were told it would become a production model.

Well, it’s taken a while, but the MINI Inspired by Goodwood (for Goodwood is where BMW build the Rolls Royce) will debut at Shanghai this month and then go in to production with firts cars expected to arrive in early 2012.

It won’t be full production for the MINI Roller, mind you. With a price tag probably approaching £50k (if not more) even MINI has the sense not to push their luck too far, so the MINI Goodwood is to be limited to 1,000 cars. Unless they all sell tout de suite, and then you can be certain there’ll be a ‘MINI Inspired by Goodwood II’ close behind.

It doesn’t take a genius to work out that the MINI Goodwood is all about creating a modern production version of the 1960s coachbuilt Minis – Wood & Picket and Radford – with more than a hint of Rolls Royce in the mix. Which as BMW also own Rolls Royce is an easy mix.

Based on the MINI Cooper S – and with the same 4-pot, 1.6 litre turbo with 181bhp –  the MINI Goodwood gets stuff like burr walnut liberally applied and Cornsilk leather on anything that doesn’t move. There’s a Rolls Royce typeface on the instruments and doses of piano black finish where the burr walnut doesn’t reach.

Toys in the standard spec include Adaptive Xenons, Park Distance Control, Climate and the sound system Radio MINI Visual Boost, which includes the Harman Kardon hi-fi speaker system.

The outside of the MINI Goodwood is pretty much MINI Cooper S, although it does get a non-vented bonnet and some bespoke alloys. Paintwork is a Rolls Royce colour - Diamond Black – although you can opt for MINI’s own Reef Blue, if you must.

Stupid price and barking spec. But strangely appealing.

(13 photos – click any thumbnail for full gallery)

By Cars UK