Mini Inspired by Goodwood gets the Rolls-Royce touch for Shanghai auto show

We scratched our head when Aston Martin took the tiny Toyota iQ and turned it into the Cygnet.

Now, Mini has called on its business cousin, Rolls-Royce, to create the Mini Inspired by Goodwood. The car will debut next week at the Shanghai motor show.

Mini turned the Rolls design staff loose on a Mini Cooper. That led to an interior awash in exquisite Rolls-Royce leather on the seats and dash pad, a cashmere-covered headliner and lamb's wool floor mats--all in the Rolls-Royce cornsilk color, walnut burr wood trim and piano black surfaces.

The car is painted in diamond black metallic and fitted with 17-inch wheels. Under the hood is a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine rated at 184 hp.

Mini says it will build 1,000 copies. Pricing and sale details will be announced later.

By Dale Jewett