BMW has been keeping the MINI legend alive ever since the 1990s, yet a lot has changed since them. Under its new ownership, the lineup has expanded and the hatch has become bigger than ever.
2019 marks the 60th anniversary of the original BMC Mini, so the car has been celebrated with the special edition Cooper S, aptly named the ’60 Years Edition’. It’s finished in British Racing Green IV and sports black exterior trim, racing stripes, 17-inch wheels and ’60 Years’ badges.
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Inside, the brown leather and green piping combo suits the character of the special edition and matches the outside look. MINI has also fitted it with the 8.8-inch infotainment system that comes with features such as satellite navigation system, Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay. The list of accessories is very generous and includes ambient lighting, automatic headlights and windscreen wipers, LED front and rear lights, Park Distance Control, reversing camera and others.
Since this 60 Years Edition is a Cooper S, this means that it packs a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission. At 192 PS (189 HP / 141 kW), the output has remained unchanged, but that’s really okay, because it’s loads of fun to drive. It stays nicely planted through corners, the brakes work well and the go-kart feel is still present.
MINI will only make 500 60th Anniversary models, one of which was reviewed by CarsIreland, who got their hands on the Mini 30th Anniversary Edition as well, just to see how much these cars have evolved over the years. And my, there’s a big gap between the two, as you can see in the following video.
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