New Options and Special Editions Due for US Market Next Year!

A source inside MINI has revealed that there are at least three new special edition options, or packs, to be released to the USA market in Summer 2005. For the names of these special edition MINIs, it seems the people at MINI have been delving into the history books of the classic Mini and come up with the names “Seven” or “Se7en” (the original Mini was either an Austin Seven or Morris Mini-Minor), “Check Mate” (the name of a 1990 Rover Mini Ltd. Edition) and “Park Lane” (the name of a 1987 Rover Mini Ltd. Edition).

(Austin Seven and Rover Mini Park Lane Mini)

The Se7en will be for MINI Cooper only, we believe offering some trim and performance enhancements, while Check Mate and Park Lane will be available in Cooper and Cooper S form. Included in the the Park Lane special characteristics will be a silver painted roof and wing mirrors, while the Check Mate will feature special logos on the rear quarter glass sections, above the indicator “grilles” on the front sides of the car, as well as a check pattern decal on the front side scuttle panels. There will also be special “Check Mate” logos on the interior door sill plates.

Pricing and availability are not yet known to us, nor are more specific trim and styling details, however the models are not expected on the USA market until around September 2005, and we will of course pass on any more information as soon as we get it! As our more regular visitors may have come to expect, none of this has been officially confirmed by MINI at this time.