Mini Cooper S Paddy Hopkirk Edition Commemorates Monte Carlo Rally Win

The Mini Cooper S Hardtop 2 Door Paddy Hopkirk Edition pays tribute to the racing driver's surprise victory behind the wheel of a Mini at the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally. It goes on sale in the US in November 2020, but Mini isn't disclosing the price yet. 

The special edition's exterior takes inspiration from the classic Mini. The body is Chili Red with a single white stripe on the hood that features Hopkirk's signature and 3D-effect "33 EJB," which refers to the original rally cars license plate. A stylized "37" appears on the door and on a few pieces of trim. A decal on the B-pillar looks like the Monte Carlo Rally emblem but shows "Paddy Hopkirk", "37", and "1964" for this interpretation.

For an additional color contrast, there are several high-gloss black pieces of trim on the exterior. The dark color covers the grille, intakes in the lower fascia, hood scoop, door handles, fuel door, surrounds for the headlights and taillights, hatchback handle, and Mini logos. It rides on black 17-inch wheels with five sets of dual spokes.

Inside, Hopkirk's signature appears on the Piano Black portion of the dashboard in front of the passenger. The LED-lit door sills display “Paddy Hopkirk”.

Mechanically, this edition uses the same powertrain as any other Mini Cooper S. A turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder makes 189 horsepower (141 kilowatts) and 207 pound-feet (281 Newton-meters). This is enough to get the hatchback to 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour) in 6.5 seconds.

Following Hopkirk's victory in 1964, the Mini backed up its performance by winning the Monte Carlo Rally two more times. Timo Mäkinen and Rauno Aaltonen scored victories there in 1965 and 1967.