Mini 1998 GT Edition arrives for R$ 188 inspired by the classic 1275 GT

Mini launched in the United States the 1998 GT Edition, a special series derived from the Cooper C 2 Door and inspired by the 1275 GT, the brand’s top of the line in the late 1960s. The suggested price is US$ 36.875, or about R$ 188 thousand — approximately R$ 38 thousand above the common Cooper C, sold for US$ 29.500 (R$ 150 thousand).

On the outside, the bodywork is painted in Midnight Black Metallic and receives orange graphics with the inscription “1998 GT”, in addition to details in the same color scattered throughout the car. Completing the package are 17″ JCW Sprint Spoke wheels in black and an aerodynamic kit signed by John Cooper Works, the brand’s sports division.

Almost triple the power of the 1275 GT

The car that gives the edition its name had a 1.3 engine with 61 hp and a top speed of 140 km/h. The special series starts from a much more robust set: 2.0 turbo four-cylinder engine with 163 hp and 25,4 kgfm, seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and front-wheel drive. It is about 2,7 times the power of the honored model.

The name follows an old logic of the brand: the 1275 GT carried the exact displacement of its engine on the emblem, 1.275 cm³, and the same was true for the 1499 GT, special series of 2021. The 2.0 turbo of the Cooper C has 1.998 cm³.

Still, the 1998 GT is not the spiciest version of the lineup. The Cooper C occupies the base of the range in the United States, below the Cooper S, with 204 hp, and the John Cooper Works, with 231 hp. In practice, the look promises more than the engine delivers.

Sixth of eight special

editions In the cabin, the front seats are the John Cooper Works sports cars, covered in black Vescin — a synthetic material without leather, produced from recycled components — combined with a mesh finish. The three-spoke sports steering wheel bears emblems specific to the GT version.

The rest follows the Cooper C pattern, with the addition of carpets and sills stamped with the edition’s inscription, an exclusive design key and a storage box in the center console.

The 1998 GT Edition is the sixth of eight special series that Mini plans to introduce in the North American market. Before it came, among others, the Heritage Edition, the Paul Smith Editions, the Rooftop Editions and the 1965 Victory Edition.

Production is scheduled for October, with the first units at dealerships in early November. The automaker did not say how many cars will be manufactured.