Article Abstract
- The 1965 Victory Version commemorates Timo Mäkinen and Paul Easter’s iconic Mini Cooper S victory on the 1965 Monte Carlo Rally, bringing the automobile’s legendary race quantity 52 and Chili Crimson livery into the trendy MINI lineup.
- The version spans the Cooper S (204 hp, 6.6s 0–100), John Cooper Works (231 hp, 6.1s), and JCW Electrical (258 hp, 5.9s), providing consumers a alternative of powertrain with out compromising the rally-inspired character.
- From the “1965” door sill lettering and C-pillar decal to the race quantity embossed on the important thing cap, each inside and exterior contact ties again to MINI’s biggest motorsport second — obtainable from March 2026 globally, July 2026 in Europe.
No metropolis wears motorsport historical past fairly like Monte Carlo. For MINI, that metropolis is sort of particular. It was there, in January 1965, that Finnish driver Timo Mäkinen and co-driver Paul Easter piloted a Mini Cooper S to victory on the Monte Carlo Rally — a win that cemented the nameplate’s standing as some of the succesful and celebrated competitors automobiles of its period. Six a long time later, MINI is drawing straight from that legacy with the launch of the 1965 Victory Version.
Obtainable throughout three variants — the MINI Cooper S, the MINI John Cooper Works, and the MINI John Cooper Works Electrical — the 1965 Victory Version packages motorsport-inspired aesthetics, in and out.
No Powertrain Modifications
The Cooper S anchors the lineup with a 2.0-litre TwinPower Turbo four-cylinder producing 204 hp and 300 Nm of torque (221 lb-ft), sprinting from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.6 seconds. Step as much as the John Cooper Works and the numbers sharpen significantly: 231 hp, 380 Nm of torque, (280 lb-ft) and a 0–100 km/h time of 6.1 seconds. The totally electrical JCW leads the vary delivering as much as 258 hp and protecting the benchmark dash in simply 5.9 seconds.
The Exterior Updates Are Particular
Visually, the 1965 Victory Version makes no effort to be refined. MINI wraps the automobile in Chili Crimson — a direct nod to the competitors liveries of the Nineteen Sixties — and runs a white trim stripe from the bonnet, over the roof, and right down to the rear. The quantity “52,” carried by Mäkinen’s unique automobile, seems as a white graphic on each flanks. A “1965” decal on the C-pillar provides an extra interval reference.
The roof is obtainable in both panoramic glass or a Glazed end. There aren’t any suspension modifications or another updates to the driving dynamics. The automobile rides on 18-inch alloy wheels with the JCW Lap Spoke in two-tone design for the combustion fashions, and JCW Mastery Spoke in black for the electrical variant. Floating hubs and JCW valve caps completed within the version’s coloration scheme spherical out the outside detailing.
A Stunning Theme Inside
Inside, the rally theme continues with small however elegant updates. Door sills greet occupants with “1965” lettering in white on a pink and black background, whereas every door card carries a dedication referencing the historic rally win. The cockpit itself attracts from the established JCW palette — anthracite and pink.
The “1965” designation reappears on the 6 o’clock spoke of the sports activities steering wheel and on the middle console storage field, conserving the motorsport heritage current however by no means overbearing. Most notably, the race quantity from Mäkinen’s victorious Cooper S is embossed on the important thing cap — a small however thought-about contact that makes the connection to 1965 tangible each time the automobile is unlocked.
The MINI 1965 Victory Version goes on sale in all taking part markets from March 2026. European consumers might want to wait barely longer, with availability confirmed from July 2026.
