Mini Cooper JCW World Championship 50 Official Details

The special edition Mini Cooper John Cooper Works World Championship 50 first dropped on the scene at the 2009 Mini United Festival at Silverstone in May, but at that time there were no official press images or full details available. Fast forward a month and we now have the whole nine. This car is a direct tribute to the 50th anniversary of MINI's motorsports conquests, which kicked off in 1959 when sports car constructor John Cooper won his first Formula One Constructor's Championship title with Jack Brabham at the wheel (who also took home the F1 Driver's Championship.) A full complement of exterior and interior touches that symbolize the racing pedigree of this car are offered.

Only 250 example of the Mini Cooper JCW World Championship 50 will be produced. It will feature the standard 211 hp four-cylinder engine fitted with a Twin-Scroll turbocharger. A six-speed manual gearbox keeps things lively along with a special overboost feature which can deliver additional torque when necessary. The car has a 0 to 62 mph sprint time of 6.5 seconds. A special Sport button mounted on the centre console activates sharper steering response, more aggressive acceleration and enhanced precision. Stopping power is delivered by a large sports brake system that features red aluminum calipers sitting behind cross-spoke Challenge allow wheels finished in black.

The most striking attribute of the car is the new Connaught Green color, which is a first for Mini and a throwback to the racers of the 50s and 60s. It's accented with Pepper White stripes running down the roof and bonnet (aka hood). Carbon fiber components are a nice touch and are fitted on the hood scoop, rear diffuser, tailgate handle and mirror caps. John Cooper's son, John Michael Cooper had a big hand in the design of the car and his signuature appears on a specially designed fascia plate and across the right hood stripe.

The inside carries forth the racing theme found on the exterior. Carbon Black leather uphostery is strew throughout and accented with red piping. Red stitching is woven into the floormats, gearshift and handbrake gaites. Carbon fiber pieces are placed in the fascia and door handles. It also has a sport steering wheel finished with Alcantara that showcases a carbon fiber JCW insert.

As mentioned before, back in 1959 and 1960, John Cooper's race cars grabbed Constructors' and Drivers' titles in the Formula One World Championship which was a first for mid-engine models. As a matter of fact, all Formula One cars are still built according to that design principle to this day. No price is listed yet for the MINI John Cooper Works World Championship 50 special edition but we're sure this car will appeal to both serious collectors and hardcore enthusiasts alike.

Source: MINI