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The MINI John Cooper Works Challenge Edition Revealed

The Mini John Cooper Works has received an new version, exclusive for the Australian market: the Challenge Edition. In order to enhance the car’s racing spirit, the new edition brings the already high-spec John Cooper Works to an higher level, with features inspired from the MINI CHALLENGE race car.

The MINI Challenge is an Australian single manufacturer racing series introduced in 2008. A special version of the MINI has been developed for it: the car has 211 HP, weighs 1180 kg, uses slick tires and has a bespoke aerodynamic kit.

The MINI John Cooper Works Challenge Edition is powered by the same unit as its racing sister. The 1.6 liter four cylinder twin-scroll unit delivers 211 HP and 260 Nm of torque. The latter can be increased to 280 Nm for a limited amount of time, through the overboost function. The car deals with the first hundred in 6.5 seconds.

The John Cooper Works Challenge Edition features the following goodies (over the ones offered by its John Cooper Works brother): a John Cooper Works aerodynamics package consisting of front, rear and side aprons, John Cooper Works Carbon Spoiler, John Cooper Works aluminum cross brace, John Cooper Works Alcantara and Carbon steering wheel, John Cooper Works carbon gearshift with Alcantara shroud, John Cooper works carbon handbrake lever also with Alcantara finish and Challenge Edition badging.

The Challenge edition can be ordered for the MINI John Cooper Works Hardtop, Clubman or Cabrio models. It costs $2,500, but the company says that it contains equipment worth $7,000.

It looks like this kind of racing-inspired marketing is really efficient, as the 2009 MINI John Cooper Works sales achieved record values, accounting for 26 percent of MINI Cooper S Hardtop sales and 10 percent of the entire range.
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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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