Commemorative MINI Paddy Hopkirk Edition launched

This is the new MINI Paddy Hopkirk Edition. It’s a limited edition version of the Cooper S three-door hatchback honouring both the classic Monte Carlo-winning 1964 Mini Cooper S and the Northern Irishman who piloted it.

The special edition model features a host of period-inspired styling tweaks and Paddy Hopkirk branded components. Production will be limited to just 100 examples, with each unit commanding a starting price of £27,405. First deliveries are expected to arrive in November this year.

MINI’s most noticeable styling tweak is the new livery, which the company says is a modern interpretation of Hopkirk’s race-winning rally car. It comprises a Chilli Red base coat, a white roof and the same starting number 37 printed on its doors. To offset the paintwork, MINI has swapped the car’s exterior brightwork for gloss black replacements.

There’s a fresh set of 17-inch John Cooper Works alloy wheels, too, along with a pair of grille-mounted fog lamps and a unique Hopkirk badge fixed to the car’s C-pillar. The package is completed with a unique racing stripe on the MINI’s bonnet, which bears both the license plate of the race-winning classic and Hopkirk’s signature.

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Inside, buyers get an Alcantara-trimmed John Cooper Works sports steering wheel, Piano Black trim, Paddy Hopkirk-branded treadplates and a unique passenger-side dashboard panel emblazoned with Hopkirk’s signature. The standard car’s 8.8-inch infotainment system is also transferred onto the special edition model, providing support for Apple CarPlay.

It’s powered by the same turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine as the standard Cooper S, which develops 189bhp and 280Nm of torque. The engine delivers a 0–62mph time of 6.8 seconds and a top speed of 146mph – and buyers have their choice of either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

What do you make of the new MINI Paddy Hopkirk Edition? Let us know in the comments section below…