Mini South Africa has added a special edition model to its local Cooper S range, with the newcomer gaining an injection of extra power and some added styling features.
Despite the accompanying image (which we found on Mini SA’s social media stream) mysteriously showing smoke coming from the rear tyres, the newest model is indeed front-wheel drive, just like the Cooper S on which it is based. We’ll put that one down to a Photoshop slip-up…
Anyway, back to the topic at hand. Dubbed the Mini Cooper S Hatch 5-door Special Edition, the new derivative is priced at R506 226, which puts it at the very summit of the local hatchback range. Yes, that means it costs more than the 170 kW JCW-fettled Mini hatch (although the latter is admittedly available in three-door flavour only).
So, how much more power does the 2,0-litre turbopetrol mill produce in the special edition model, when compared to the standard Cooper S? Well, peak output rises some 14 kW to 155 kW, although it is available over a slightly narrower rev range (between 5 000 and 6 000 r/min, to be precise). Maximum torque, however, is unchanged at 300 N.m.
Interestingly, the BMW-backed brand does not appear to list a claimed 0-100 km/h time for this new special edition – which employs a six-speed sports automatic transmission as standard – so it’s unclear whether it improves on the 6,8-second figure delivered by the Cooper S.
What else does that R83 700 price premium buy you? Well, the special edition boasts unique “melting silver” metallic paint, two-tone 18-inch alloys, a panorama sunroof, gloss-black light surrounds and carbon-effect mirror caps.
John Cooper Works styling packages have also been applied (inside and out), while a sports exhaust, sports suspension, rear parking sensors, leather seats and a handful more JCW-themed additions (such as the carbon tailpipe finisher) are also part of the deal.
