2021 Mini Cooper S Nightfall and Rosewood limited editions released

Two special edition Mini Coopers have joined the Australian line-up; the Nightfall John Cooper Works and Rosewood Cooper S both get limited colours and extra kit for their – rather steep – asking prices.

The more affordable Rosewood Cooper S appears in Summer Red from $59,250 for the three-door, with the punchier John Cooper Works Nightfall hatch available for $70,990. 

Only 40 Nightfall hatches and ten convertibles will come to Australia, and a total of 40 Rosewood editions will arrive in a mix of three-door and five-door hatches.

You’d be right to say that $70,000 is a lot of money for a hot hatch, especially a front-wheel-drive one. It’s undoubtedly a steeper ask than rivals like the Hyundai i30 N and Golf GTI and comes uncomfortably close to the more honed Megane Trophy R.

But it seems these days buyers want a Mini for the style they offer. And, to be fair, the Rosewood Cooper S does look spiffing in that Summer Red metallic hue. You’ll be able to identify the piano black exterior detailing, black 17-inch alloy wheels, and Rosewood kickplates.

The piece de resistance, though, has got to be the bespoke 3D-printed interior insert with Rosewood engraving.

Inside is where the Rosewood really shows off, with anthracite headliner, 3D-printed dash details, Mini’s leather lounge upholstery with Wakkanappa appointed steering wheel, five-inch digital driver’s display in place of traditional dials, and an 8.8-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay capability.

As for whether these changes are worth the extra $15,990 over a regular, $44,00 Cooper S Hatch, that will be up to the buyer. Brett Waudby, GM for Mini Australia and New Zealand was confident in the Rosewood’s special pizazz, though: “As far as bold statements go, a dashing-looking MINI is hard to top… we’ve taken the options rulebook and tossed it – making a car that is truly special”.

The same 141kW/280Nm two-litre turbocharged powertrain remains, and the Rosewood sends power to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, with no manual available. Based on the John Cooper Works, the Nightfall edition gets more punch; 170kW and 320Nm to be exact.

As with the Rosewood, there’s no self-shifting option; the Nightfall is available with an eight-speed Aisin automatic only. Similarly, the Nightfall gets piano black exterior plastics, blacked-out Mini logos, tailpipes and a set of 17-inch’ Track spoke’ wheels finished in black.

There’s one colour available, Enigmatic Black metallic. But you’ll be in control of that power with an Alcantara-appointed steering wheel with matching handbrake and headliner in the hatch, adaptive LED headlights with Union Jack signature, adaptive cruise, wireless charging, wireless Apple CarPlay and 12-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system.

While the 0-100km/h sprint time is just 6.1 seconds in the John Cooper Works Nightfall hatch, this is not to be confused with the hardcore Mini John Cooper Works GP. 

However, Mr Waudby spruiked the enjoyment factor of the Nightfall Edition: “we’ve packed a massive amount of additional John Cooper Works upgrades into both cars, and we expect both cars to deliver heart-pounding thrills on both road and race track.” Here at Chasing Cars, we’d stick to the three-door hatch for regular track use. 

The Rosewood and Nightfall edition Minis are available to order in now, with limited numbers likely to sell out quickly despite the hefty pricetags.

2021 Mini Limited Edition Pricing

All prices are before on-road costs

Mini Cooper S Rosewood 3Dr Hatch – $59,250
Mini Cooper S Rosewood 5Dr Hatch – $60,550
Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works Nightfall 3Dr Hatch – $70,990
Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works Nightfall 5Dr Convertible – $75,290