MINI John Cooper Works World Championship 50

Both were revolutionary and triumphant: in the summer of 1959 Alec Issigonis presented his concept for a small car which, with its transverse-mounted front four-cylinder engine and space for four occupants plus luggage, was to become a byword for economy of space and driving fun.

That same year, sports car constructor John Cooper won his first Formula One World Championship title with Jack Brabham at the wheel. 50 years on, the MINI John Cooper Works World Championship 50 evokes both the start of the triumphal path of the classic Mini as well as victory in the F1 Drivers' and Constructors' Championship for John Cooper's racing team.

This MINI special edition was inspired by John Cooper's son, Mike. His signature appears on the facia and on one of the bonnet stripes. It will have a limited production run of 250 units and was unveiled to the public at the 2009 MINI United Festival in Silverstone. The car is based on the MINI John Cooper Works and driven by a 211 hp four-cylinder engine with Twin-Scroll turbocharger and petrol direct injection.

The production version of the MINI John Cooper Works World Championship 50 features numerous exterior and interior details reflecting the racing pedigree of the brand.

The bodywork of the MINI John Cooper Works World Championship 50 comes in a new colour for MINI, namely Connaught Green – harking back to the famous colour of British race cars of the 1950s and 60s era. It is combined with the roof and bonnet stripes in Pepper White. The green with the white bonnet stripes mirror the colour concept of the Cooper F1 cars.

The specification of these colours was provided by Mike Cooper giving the car its authenticity. Mike was consulted throughout the development by the MINI Design department. Mike's full name is "John" Michael Cooper and he signs himself John Cooper. His signature appears on one bonnet stripe and on a facia plaque.

Further accentuating the competitive character of the special edition are the John Cooper Works aerodynamics package and John Cooper Works Cross Spoke CHALLENGE light-alloy wheels in Jet Black.

[B]Technology from the race track: four-cylinder engine with 211 hp[/B]

Like the design features of the MINI John Cooper Works World Championship 50, the power source under its bonnet is similarly defined by the racing competence of MINI John Cooper Works.

This 1.6-litre four-cylinder unit is based on the engine of the MINI John Cooper Works CHALLENGE that was first fielded in the 2008 MINI CHALLENGE. It provides 211 hp and develops maximum torque of 260 Newton metres between 1,850 and 5,600 rpm, which can even be briefly increased to 280 Nm thanks to an overboost feature.

Power transmission is via a six-speed manual gearbox. All this enables the MINI John Cooper Works World Championship 50 to accelerate from standstill to 100 km/h in just 6.5 seconds, going on to a top speed of 238 km/h. Average consumption in the EU test cycle is 6.9 litres per 100 kilometers, with a CO2 figure of 165 grams per kilometer.

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Credits: JRC