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Naming sporty, special edition cars after race car drivers is a common occurrence in the auto world. Most of them are named after men.
But this year, for International Women's Day, MINI premiered the 2022 Mini Cooper S Hardtop Pat Moss Edition, which can be ordered in May. The new edition will be the fifth special for the current lineup.
Moss gave the MINI brand its first international rally win in May of 1962. It was the Tulip Rally, which ran from the Dutch city of Noordwijk to the French Riviera and back, where Moss made her stand with pregnant copilot Ann Wisdom, achieving the top time over the more experienced male competition.
The special edition can be optioned on the 2022 Cooper S Hardtop 2-door, Cooper S Hardtop 4-door and the John Cooper Works Hardtop. As a bonus, in the U.S. it will also be offered on the 2023 JCW Hardtop 2-door. MINI will only make 800 examples globally.
There are no power upgrades so buyers will have the same 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making 189 horsepower and 207 pound-feet (lb-ft) of torque for the S and 228 horsepower and 235 lb-ft of torque for the JCW. They can be had with either an eight-speed automatic transmission or a six-speed manual.
The Pat Moss Edition gets elements like a stylized tulip, appearing on the C-pillars and side scuttles, a Pat Moss inscription and new wheel hub covers with an outline of the famous Dutch flower. It will be offered with the color fading Multitone roof with a new color palate that goes from Chili Red to silver to Jet Black.
The MINI also features key facts from the 1962 Tulip Rally including the route, Noordwijk – Monte Carlo – Noordwijk, the distance of 2,500 kilometers, the vehicle and its starting number 104. It also wears the slogan "born to compete".
Those facts will be on the side scuttles and on the screen-printed aluminum door sills. Additionally, the Pat Moss MINI will stand out with a horizontal hood stripe in white and three dimensional alphanumeric 737 ABL, the registration on the winning MINI.
Inside, the special edition comes with another signature, more tulip graphics and a depiction of engine pistons moving. Bars forming the letters M and W stand for the driver and codriver.
Pricing hasn't been announced yet, but expect a surcharge on top of the price of the 2-door Cooper S ($26,900), the 4-door Cooper S ($27,900) and John Cooper Works Hardtop ($32,900).
About the writer
Jake Lingeman is a Newsweek Autos managing editor based in Detroit. His focus is reporting on the auto industry. He has covered ... Read more