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Avenue of the Giants Weekend Run - Sat. March 23, 2024

Saturday will be a very full day of cruising from Novato up through the Avenue of the Giants and ending at Eel River Brewing in Fortuna. Sun...

Inventorspot Looks At China's 2012 MINI Cooper Olympic Special Edition

Inventorspot publishes an article about the exclusive Special Edition for China. Here is part of what it reports:
As a tip of the hat to their loyal and increasing market in China, MINI is offering a unique paint and graphics package, the “China Olympic Special Edition”, beginning in July of 2012 and priced at 296,000 RMB or about $46,500.

The cars are finished in British Racing Green paint highlighted by five-striped gold banding along the lower sides and over the roof from the left front grill to the right rear bumper.

Once the banding hits the white-painted roof, it makes an oval loop-de-loop on the tinted glass sunroof – the effect approximates the 5-lane running track where many of the Olympic track & field events will take place.

Other features include a numbered “MINI China Olympic Special Edition” grill badge and unique gray-scale Union Jack flag mirror caps. Curiously, there's not a single 5-ringed Olympic logo to be seen anywhere on the car, regardless of the fact MINI is the official partner of the Chinese 2012 Olympic delegation.

There's nothing special under the hood either: buyers will find the same 1.6-liter, 120-hp (88kw), inline-four engine that powers the standard Cooper model. No matter – based on MINI's previous marketing history in China, the China Olympic Special Edition may sell out faster than Usain Bolt can run the hundred.