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Mini celebrates 60 years of Cooper with Anniversary Edition Hatch

Sir Alec Issigonis never seriously envisioned the original Mini as a performance car. It was a cheap and cheerful econobox developed as an alternative to the bubble cars that were wildly popular in post-WWII England. Race car engineer John Cooper played a significant role in revealing the Mini's sporty side, and the BMW-owned firm is celebrating the collaboration's 60th anniversary with a limited-edition variant of the Hatch that will be sold globally. Aptly named Anniversary Edition, the commemorative hatchback is available in British Racing Green, Midnight Black or Rebel Green (depending on the version). Regardless of the chosen paint color, the light bezels, the door mirror caps, the door handles and the roof are painted white, while most of the other exterior trim pieces are black. The number "74" appears on the hood and on the doors; it was chosen as a reference to the original Mini, which wore the same number when it earned its first win in a major race. Red accents add a finishing touch to the look. Open the door, and you'll spot edition-specific door sill plates with a Cooper logo. The same design appears on the three-spoke steering wheel, and there's a red ring on the passenger side of the dashboard that's a tribute to the original John Cooper logo. The signatures of John, Mike and Charlie Cooper appear next to the instrument cluster. Mini is not making any major mechanical changes to the Anniversary Edition. The package can be ordered with the standard Cooper, the hotter Cooper S or the spicy John Cooper Works model. In its most powerful configuration, the Hatch offers a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that develops 228 horsepower. For context, the original Mini Cooper was powered by a 1.0-liter four-cylinder tuned to develop about 55 horsepower. It could reach a top speed of around 80 mph, and it gained disc brakes (the standard Mini initially settled for drums on both axles).  Only 740 units of the Anniversary Edition Hatch will be built globally. Pricing information hasn't been announced. And, while we know the model is America-bound, there's no word yet on how many will be sent to our shores. We've reached out to the brand, and we'll update this story if we learn more. Cooper's pre-Cooper models Mini launched its first Cooper-tuned model in September 1961, but the collaboration started earlier.

Will the Mini John Cooper Works GP get an electric sidekick?

Mini will beat most of its rivals to the burgeoning electric hot hatch segment by releasing a battery-powered variant of the John Cooper Works GP, according to a recent report. If the rumor is accurate, the British brand's second series-produced electric car will also become one of the quickest models it has ever put its name on. Enthusiast website Motoring File spotted what looks suspiciously like an electric John Cooper Works GP testing in Germany, and unnamed sources who are allegedly familiar with the company's plans confirmed the model is currently being evaluated. None of the insiders said the model has been confirmed for production, however. It's too early to tell what will power the electric GP, or how closely it will be related to the Cooper SE. We're curious to find out how Mini will offset the battery's weight; the gasoline-powered GP (pictured) tips the scale at 2,855 pounds, while the SE weighs in at 3,153 pounds. Granted, a generous amount of instant torque can help the hatchback overcome its extra pounds, but masking it on a twisty road will require serious chassis wizardry. If the rumor is true, we'll learn more about Mini's next electric model in the coming months. It might arrive in showrooms in 2022, likely priced above $50,000 and possibly as a limited-edition model. For context, the existing GP is limited to 3,000 units worldwide, and pricing starts at $45,750. Mini made its commitment to electrification clear when it pegged its future on crossovers, the Chinese market, and electric cars. It confirmed it's developing an electric crossover that will be about as big as the Countryman, and it stressed electrification will spread across its range in the coming years. It's not planning on ditching gasoline- and diesel-powered engines soon, though; it wants to give customers what it calls the power of choice. Who else is in the game? Electrification still hasn't reached hot hatch land, and Mini's rumored electric GP would be one of the first cars of its kind. Volkswagen has often hinted it wants to build a spicier version of the Golf-sized ID.3 sold in Europe, but we haven't seen the model yet; the firm is understandably allocating its resources to ramping up production of volume-oriented models, like the ID.4 crossover. Across the pond, Renault transformed the humble Zoe into a 460-horsepower, four-wheel drive superhatch in 2017, but the project fizzled before it spawned a production car.

Driving the Toyota Tacoma, BMW 430i and Chevy Corvette Convertible | Autoblog Podcast #671

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by West Coast Editor James Riswick and Road Test Editor Zac Palmer. First, they talk about driving the Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road (equipped with a TRD Lift Kit), Mini Cooper S Hardtop 2-Dor, BMW 430i xDrive, Chevy Corvette Convertible and Chevy Suburban with the Duramax diesel engine. They discuss the news, including Toyota's desire to differentiate the 86 from the BRZ, the new Jeep Magneto concept and Greg's opinion piece on why Stellantis needs Chrysler. Last, but not least, they dig into the mailbag to help a listener figure out how to replace their Honda S2000 and Honda Fit. Autoblog Podcast #671 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars We're Driving 2021 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road 2021 Mini Cooper S Hardtop 2 Door 2021 BMW 430i xDrive 2021 Chevy Corvette Convertible 2021 Chevy Suburban Duramax diesel News Toyota 86 reportedly delayed to differentiate it from Subaru BRZ Jeep Magneto: Electrifying the Easter Jeep Safari with a Wrangler EV Why Stellantis needs Chrysler Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related Video: Podcasts BMW Chevrolet Chrysler GM MINI Toyota Truck Coupe SUV Diesel Vehicles Luxury Off-Road Vehicles Performance