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Classic Reborn: Limited Edition Mini 1499 GT

19th Oct 2017

Legendary Heritage

To anyone who has ever watched the classic 1969 film, The Italian Job, there is only one real star, and it is not Michael Caine. The MINI Cooper S, with its incredible agility cheekily out-manoeuvred the Fiat 500s in Italy, art reflecting life. The MINI therefore stole the show as well as the bullion. MINI was the first car of its kind to be affordable for almost anyone whilst still sporty enough to hold its own at the world-famous Monte Carlo Rally.

Fast-forward 50 years and the iconic MINI, voted Number One Classic Car of All Time by Classic and Sports Car Magazine in 1996, remains the most popular British car ever made. It is no wonder then that BMW Group's acquisition of the MINI brand has been so well received.

It was with some apprehension that British enthusiasts awaited the launch of the first BMW MINI at the turn of the millennium. Seventeen years later, the huge upsurge in sales for Britain's most loved car has proven beyond any shadow of a doubt that MINI's future is in good hands.

Taking the Marque Forward

Building upon this incredible success, taking the iconic and improving upon it, MINI have announced the redevelopment of another classic line of MINI, the 1275 GT. Named because of its 1275cc engine, the original model produced a modest 59bhp. Re-vamped and reimagined through the "engine-uity" of BMW, the all-new 1499 GT boasts over forty more horses with 102bhp and a not-to-be-sniffed-at 10.1 seconds for its 0-60 time.

Named because of its larger engine, the MINI 1499 GT is being released as a special edition with only 1,499 cars being made available to buy in the UK. The features which set apart the 1499's progenitor were its John Cooper Works styling along with front disc brakes, rostyle wheels and the rally-style decal stickers.

A Classic is Reborn

MINI 1499 GT makes a subtle but respectful nod to these details in its decal stickers, Cooper styling and interior design. The Dinamica & leather sports seats are sumptuous and indulgent in the way that they cocoon the driver and are styled with JCW stitching and steering wheel badge. Track Spoke 17" alloy wheels are painted gloss black giving them a modern and edgy feel.

Available to order now, the MINI 1499 GT recalls the fun-to-drive, unique styling and low running costs of the 1969 original, which was one of the most affordable performance cars of its day.

Exterior

The limited-edition MINI 1499 GT is available in a choice of two colours, Pepper White and Midnight Black. In Midnight Black the car gets striking gold side stripes, emulating the 1275 GT. The Pepper White edition features the same decals but in black.

Additional exterior features include the MINI John Cooper Works Sport Pack, comprised of 17" Track Spoke alloy wheels in Black, dark tinted windows and white indicator lenses. The styling pack includes distinctive John Cooper Works front and rear bumpers, side skirts, a split-level spoiler and John Cooper Works door entry plates.

Interior

Interior features include John Cooper Works Sports seats in Dinamica and leather and JCW (John Cooper Works) badges, plus a JCW steering wheel wrapped in perforated leather with Chilli Red stitching.

Technology

•Multi-function controls
•Cruise control
•Visual Boost radio
•MINI Connected smartphone compatibility

The circular infotainment system is beautifully complimented with Piano Black interior trim, along with Carbon Black interior details and Anthracite headlining.

As part of the package the MINI 1499 GT Limited Edition comes with highly-tuned sports suspension, with all the standard spec you'd expect from a MINI One Hatch. This also includes independent suspension to the rear, a responsive six-speed manual transmission with rev-matching technology inspired from the sports-cars which spawned this latest arrival. Climate control and all-round disc brakes are also supplied as standard.

At Stratstone, we have been fortunate enough to be allocated a number of these exclusive limited edition MINI 1499 GTs. To ensure you get your hands on one, simply click on the link below to find your nearest Stratstone MINI dealership.