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If you’ve been following our previous story, you’ll know that Mike and Charlie Cooper had one final surprise waiting for us before we said our goodbyes. And if you haven’t been keeping up, well, consider this your spoiler warning.
Why? Because what we were about to see was, in fact, a world exclusive, the very first glimpse of Mike Cooper’s newest passion project: the Cooper Car Company’s Mini Grand Prix. A car that, until that moment, had never been shown outside the family’s inner circle.
Inspired by a very limited Rover Mini launched in 1994, the original Mini Grand Prix, this new project carries forward a special legacy. That first Grand Prix was built to celebrate 35 years since the classic Mini’s debut and John Cooper’s famous Grand Prix triumph. With its tuned 86bhp engine, full leather interior, walnut burr dashboard, signed Moto-Lita steering wheel, and body-coloured arch extensions, it was both a performance showcase and a collector’s piece, with only 35 examples ever crafted by John Cooper Garages. Now, 30 years on, the Grand Prix returns, reimagined for a new era by Mike Cooper himself.
While it retains the familiar silhouette of a classic Mini, the new Grand Prix is in fact built on an all-new shell, infused with performance know-how straight from the Cooper family’s racing heritage. Beneath its compact form lies a powerplant delivering over 100 horsepower, more than enough to transform this tiny icon into a genuine pocket rocket. Inside, a beautifully trimmed, bespoke (and somewhat modernised), hand-crafted cabin elevates the experience without losing the charm of the original. And with only 135 examples to be built, each personally signed off by Mike Cooper himself, every Grand Prix carries not just performance, but a certain degree of provenance.
Unfortunately, further details were scarce, hardly surprising, given the car had only been completed a matter of days before our visit. What we did learn, however, was the price. And, much like other desirable restomods that blend heritage with modern craftsmanship, the reimagined Mini Grand Prix won’t come cheap, with ballpark estimates hovering between £60,000 and £70,000.
While that may sound steep (and rightly so), it interestingly undercuts another similar project, the David Brown Mini Remastered, which starts at a far dearer £90,000. Which would you pick?
