Mini Inspired by Goodwood puts Rolls-Royce quality in a small place

Good things come in small packages, and now Goodwood things come in Mini packages. Mini and Rolls-Royce are teaming up for the Mini Inspired by Goodwood, a Mini hardtop trimmed outside and in like a Rolls-Royce. It's being introduced at the Shanghai Auto Show and production will be limited to 1,000 worldwide

The Rolls-Royce development center at Goodwood in England is teaming up with Mini to produce the most luxurious Mini Cooper S ever. Called officially Mini Inspired by Goodwood, the car will feature Rolls quality materials, including the dashtop in "high-quality, soft full-grain leather" and the dashboard and door handle surfaces in Walnut Burr. The wood is the same as used in a Rolls and will be manufactured by Rolls in Goodwood.

The interior will be lavished in an exclusive Rolls-Royce color, Cornsilk, from carpet to leather seats, with piano black accents. The matching black gauge faces will have lettering in the same typeface as used in Rolls-Royce automobiles.

The exterior of the Mini Inspired by Goodwood will be finished in a Rolls-Royce exclusive Diamond Black metallic, although a MIni color, Reef Blue metallic can be specified. Seventeen-inch multi-spoke light-alloy wheels are standard.

Nothing so gauche as a hood scoop on a Rolls so the Mini Inspired by Goodwood won't have one either. While the front and rear aprons are standard Mini Cooper S, the Inspired by Goodwood model gets the smooth hood from the Mini Cooper D.

So no one confuses the Mini Inspired by Goodwood with ordinary Minis, "high-class" aluminum badges with the car's name on them will be on the side indicator surrounds. Another badge, reading "One of 1000" will be installed on the center console.

Not surprisingly, the Mini Inspired by Goodwood will run the list of optional features, including Xenon adaptive headlights and Harmon-Kardon premium audio.

The special-edition Mini Inspired by Goodwood will be built at the Oxford (England) Mini assembly plant, where the Mini hardtop, Clubman and convertible are also produced.

The limited-edition Mini Inspired by Goodwood will begin deliveries in spring, 2012. Price has not yet been announced, but you can be sure it will be as special as the Mini Inspired by Goodwood itself.