New Mini Paddy Hopkirk Edition celebrates historic rallying win

Mini has revealed a special edition model of its Cooper S hot hatch, inspired by the iconic car in which Paddy Hopkirk won the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally.

Dubbed the Mini Paddy Hopkirk Edition, the model is based on the Cooper S and will be available from October in three guises: 3dr, 5dr and an even hotter John Cooper Works (JCW) variant.

The special-edition car will be offered in selected markets that have yet to be specified by Mini.

The Paddy Hopkirk Edition pairs a red body with a white roof, channelling the look of the Mini that the Northern Irishman drove to the first of three overall victories in the Monte Carlo Rally.

The special-edition model is also adorned with number 37 decals on the driver and passenger doors as a nod to Hopkirk's racing number and a single white bonnet strip.

The Paddy Hopkirk Edition rides on either 17in JCW alloy wheels or 18in JCW forged items. Other design features include gloss-black detailing on the radiator grille, lower air intakes, bonnet, door handles, fuel filler flap and tailgate handle. The headlights and tail-lights also gain a dark finish, as do the Mini logos.

In some markets, customers will be able to specify additional black details on the auxiliary headlights and a key cap with the start number 37.

Buyers of the top-rung car can personalise it further with access to almost all the optional extras available to the standard Mini 3dr and Mini 5dr, including an expanded 8.8in touchscreen, sat-nav system and driving assistance features.

In 3dr guise, the Paddy Hopkirk Edition is powered by the same turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine found in the standard Cooper S, generating 189bhp, with power increasing to 228bhp in the range-topping JCW-based version.

Mini has yet to reveal pricing for the special edition, but we expect models to command a premium over the £21,130 starting price for the 3dr Cooper S and the £25,960 Cooper JCW respectively.