MINI Malaysia today launched two new special editions, with the one being spoken about here being the 1965 Victory Edition. This pays homage to the brand’s racing heritage, specifically the classic and legendary Mini Cooper S that defied the odds to win the Monte Carlo Rally in 1965 with Timo Mäkinen behind the wheel and Paul Easter as co-driver.
The 1965 Victory Edition serves to bridge the gap between that victorious past and MINI’s current-day focus on electrification. As such, it is based on the John Cooper Works E, the high-performance version of the J01 electric hatchback that pairs a 49.2-kWh (net capacity; 54.2 kWh gross) battery with a front electric motor rated at 258 PS (255 hp or 190 kW) and 350 Nm of torque.
This setup enables a 0-100 km/h time of 5.9 seconds and top speed of 200 km/h, with the battery providing up to 371 km of range following the WLTP standard when fully charged. AC charging peaks at 11 kW and will require five hours and 15 minutes to get from a 0-100% state of charge, while DC fast charging is at up to 95 kW and 10-80% is reached in just 30 minutes.
While the electrical and mechanical bits are unchanged, the 1965 Victory Edition boasts several design touches to ensure it stands out. As a start, the striking Chili Red body (red was used for the race car) is paired with a sporty white stripe that runs from the bonnet to the rear, with the sunroof-fitted hardtop also finished in white.
It’s also not hard to spot the number ‘52’ on the sides of the car, which is a nod to the car that won said 1965 rally race. These graphics also come in white and are accompanied by discreet ‘1965’ stickers on the C-pillars. Elsewhere, you’ll find black 18-inch JCW Mastery Spoke wheels instead of the JCW Lap Spoke units on a regular John Cooper Works E.
Opening the doors, you’re greeted by door sills that commemorate the historic win, with the interior dressed in JCW anthracite and red. Further reminders of the brand’s victory can be seen on the steering wheel and centre console storage box, both featuring ‘1965’ lettering on them. Even the key fob is unique to this model, as it bears the #52 racing number.
The asking price for the MINI 1965 Victory Edition is RM230,888 on-the-road without insurance, which includes a standard two-year warranty. Adding in the MINI Service and Repair Inclusive (MSRI) package bumps the warranty to four years and includes a four-year service package, but the final sum goes up by RM6,300 to RM237,188. In case you’re wondering, both figures are RM12,000 more than a regular John Cooper Works E.
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I wonder why people still buy the Mini, at the price they are selling.
they had been brainwashed to blindly acknowledge western superiority.
The price isn’t an issue. The issue is these newer models have lost the mini ‘soul’.. it no longer have that ‘classic’ look … they look just like some cheap China cars…
Well, the electric Minis are co-developed with GWM, so you’re accurate with the “cheap China cars” assessment…… minus the cheap.
5.9s can be victory