MINI's 2006 Color Changes

Sections: MF Feature | Uncategorized May 4th, 2005 89 Comments

As we mentioned last week, there will be some significant color changes coming down the pipeline for the 2006 model year. We can now confirm (without a doubt) the following changes:

Going away will be: Jet Black, Electric Blue, and Solid Gold

Being introduced will be: Space Blue, Solar Red, and Royal Grey

We hope to have pictures of all new colors in the coming weeks and months. We’ll have further ’06 model year news bright and early tomorrow morning!

Written By: Gabe

SkAlex

Do these changes necessarily carry through to the new model when it comes out?
mataku

took a look at the legend lime… it’s definitely not neon. It has a sort of silk green feel, which I really like, but was unavail at the time of my order.

as for the loses in 2006, Gabe did mention that the handling of the car should be better despite suspension changes. Also, as for the demise of the CVT, although the CVT is an awesome transmission, it’s tough not being able to mod it much. The other two however, are quite site. Bigger body and no non-metallic black. I actually don’t like metallic colors in general, I’m a fan of the more solid colors.
http://www.lawrenceotoole.com/mini/mini.html lawrence::otoole

No… more… black?

I can’t even fathom it!

Well, they started the US R53 run with no black (for the MCS at least) so why not end it that way…

If only they offered a satin/matte black… I’d have been ALL over that… or even matte metallics, like some Yamaha R1s… really shake things up…

I’m also for some wilder colors. Yes, blacks and silvers have the best resale value… but this is a MINI! Not supposed to be dull!
Nicholas P

wow!

i’m glad i have a jet black 05 then…

i had been considering trading in to get an 06 this fall, but not if there is no jet black…
Eric

Lawrence, not everyone considers a black car to be dull.
http://www.minidryvr.textamerica.com Phil

I wonder why mini doesnt setup a POLL on MINIUSA or at the Owners Lounge . . . as active as mini owners seem on the internet i bet they would see huge results. . .
http://motoringfile.com Gabe Bridger

Eric > Actually I don’t think Lawrence was calling black dull. He actually owns one of the nicest all black MCS’ I’ve ever seen.
Eric

Gabe&Lawrence, OOPS! My bad! Black MINIs unite! ;-)
Aquasar

It really is a shame Solid Gold is going away. In person it really is an awesome color. It’s just a shame computer screens can’t give you the correct picture of it. I am glad I now have a rare color on my 04MC.
Evan

Color changes keep everything fresh. I wonder where the new blues will compare with Indi Blue- the best color on a MINI…in my opinion. The Space Blue will probably be a dark blue since Hyper is somerwhere in between Electric and Indi. The red will probably be metallic and deeper and no clue about Royal Grey?

I remember seeing one Solid Gold MINI on I84 in CT. The lady driving it was smiling and waving with the sunroof open and we drove for about an hour together. That’s my fond Solid Gold memory….
GrFa

I would love to see a MINI in some of the classic, non metallic colors from the 60′s. If Royal Grey is a non-metallic, audi like grey I am ordering one as soon as I find out. I would like to see a mineral blue or almond green color come back…
http://www.lawrenceotoole.com/mini/mini.html lawrence::otoole

Eric – No prob! I actually owned a Dark Silver prior to the all Jet Black… I think black and silver cars always look the business. Plus, they matched my “artists’ uniform” – black and a frown!

But I think a line filled with crazy color options can really help. These cars are fun, and having a good range of fun colors to choose from can be one of the most agonizingly enjoyable parts of ordering a new MINI.

BTW Gabe – Thanks!

Evan – I agree that color does keep everything fresh. The line needs a good balance of neutrals and brights. I like the idea of phasing colors in/out, making certain years and models different. But I hope they keep coming up with crazy variations, instead of just eventually fading into a safe range of grays, silvers and dark metallics…
Alex F

I’m not a big fan of the current grey, but if they can come up with something like the ‘Dolphin grey’ that Audi does, that would be amazing. IMO no one does grey better than Audi. My ideal would be a convertable S with the Audi grey exterior and a deep tan leather interior. Magnificent!!! Maybe something I’ll have to have customized when I start makin’ some coin. (In that case I’d have them do the baseball stiching like they have in the TT).
Roger

My velvet red MC is gorgious when clean and polished but if they come up with the pepper white convertible with a blue top the red is gone.
Pocket_Rocket

Wahoo!!! So glad to see Electric Blue go. I was hoping that 04 was its last year!

I love my EB/W MCS and the fact that there will be less and less of them now is A OK by me!

Craig
GoofyTruax

I would like to second the Tan top comment for the Convertible!
Jedi-Bookworm

I think Hot Orange Metallic and Cool Blue Metallic should be offered for the non-Convertible MINIs.
Debi

Hmmmmmmm………..There’s other colors besides RED? :)
P

Thank GOD Solid Gold is being dropped! It was introduced because the US apparently likes gold cars. Solid Gold replaced Silk Green, which was far more pleasant (relatively). Do you guys really buy gold coloured cars?

For people demising the loss of Black, don’t forget they haven’t said metallic black will go (Astro Black, over here), only Jet Black is going.

Glad to see the demise of Electric Blue too, they milked it far too much by allowing it on the 2005 Cooper models, instead of restricting it to the Cooper S models.
Steve

Electric Blue always makes me think of that show that used to be on the Playboy channel back in the 80′s…

Ah, my mispent youth!
http://miniblog.guapacha.com Paul

Its amusing to me that that this article has generated 70+ comments – more than many performance articles get!!!

We might joke about how girls only care about the colour but now we know the truth for sure, colour is the most important thing to all of us! :)
http://finewine@ptd.net Hugh

When I was contemplating jet black, I asked my MA about resale. He said that used black ones sell off his lot the quickest of any. hs
joey

unfortuatly i dont have a mini. instead i am the disappointed owner of a 2004 mazda6. hopfully ill be able to help out this situation of the new solar red. my 6 is a color mazda calls volcanic red. its difficult to see online but if you stop at a dealer and see it in person. NYPD see me coming from miles.
The Blue Canary

I was really hoping for a lighter green color. I find the British Green far too dark, and too much like black. Electric Blue was far too light. I’m hoping its just off the Hyper Blue.
sarah

i was really hoping that there would be a light pink mini. it would be a gran car
Jodie

I’m waiting waiting waiting for my hot orange mini convertible arriving mid-July!!!! It’s torture I tell you!
Jean

I’m with Sarah on a light pink mini. Wow…that would be so awesome…
kalunchi

any shade of pink will make all girls go crazy~
freber

To throw another solar red theory into the mix – here are a couple of more links to the oldies but goodies in that shade:

Text to link

Text to link

My dealer told me today he had heard it was a pinkish red. And although the pics aren’t great here, these ones looks pretty hot pink to me!

Hmmm???
freber

Text to link?? LOL oops… Oh well, at least the links work…
Johnny

From a trustworthy in-the-know MA:

Solar Red – BMW’s emola red (nice and dark) Space Blue – very dark blue Royal Grey – between the 2 current silvers

Anyone for a petition to keep black?
Mark

Here in Canada, we get the Cooper Classic, a slightly stripped down Cooper without the xenon headlights or ASC, and available only in the non-metallics with a fixed roof colour. I wonder if this means there’s one fewer choice with the Classic?

Also, for us, metallic paint is a no-cost option (on the Cooper and S) so the cost of an Astro Black will be the same as that of a Jet Black. I also think that Astro Black is a really, really nice colour.

Gold: good riddance – local dealer didn’t order a single 05 for stock in this colour.

Electric Blue: alright, but has been declining in popularity since its introduction.

The next one that will be deleted, I predict, will be Black-Eye Purple (I think it’s called Purple Haze in the US)

In any case, there are still an awful lot of nice colours to choose from!

Mark
Adele

mi ideal mini would b jet black with a pink number 8 on each of the doors, with the newcastle crest on the top – i from newcastle :P and black and pink interior with an england flag in ther sumwher :P
Cat

Greetings,

I am currently a touch too young to drive but when I am, I am hoping to be purchasing a nice metallic pink mini with black trimmings. The revision mirrors are also hopefully going to have a checkerboard pattern on them as I have seen them on there myself and they looked rather sexy.

I personally love all mini colours but won’t be buying one unless I can buy a nice shade of pink.

Cheerio!
penny

Do something different and bring out a hot pink mini.
Eric

We just picked up our ’06 pepper white convertible with blue top and blue leather interior. We purchased from just a description and we are certainly happy we did!!
rach

i say PINK mini’s alll da waaaay!…. come on but how class would that be id buy one stright off! -x- rach -x-
karisa

OH MY DEAR GOODNESS!!! I WOULD TOTALLY BUY A HOT-PINK MINI COOPER!! I WANT ONE SOOOOO BADLY!!! IT TOTALLY SCREAMS KARISA!!!!!!!
Dana

About the Gold…

I had a 2004 SOLID GOLD mini Cooper. I actually sold it a couple years later to someone who wanted a the mini GOLD colour and was willing to pay extra for it. It was such a sweet colour. At first, I thought – yuk, is that all you have with the options I wanted? Yep. That was it. Well, it grew on me, a lot! I loved that car. Scratches could hardly be seen. It was a pleasure to polish, and boy did it turn heads! It is too bad they aren’t making it anymore as I would get another SOLID GOLD mini in a heartbeat. Now I guess I will have to settle for Mellow Yellow. My favourite car colour other than gold is yellow. But it has to have the black bonnet stripes and the black rooftop and mirrors. I think I will name her, “Bumblebee”. Not to copy the Transformers movie – but I think a yellow and black mini would suit the name better than a Yellow and Black “Mustang” – Mustang is a horse not an insect. If the movie makers had a choice I am sure they would have chosen a mini for the character. But then they wouldn’t have gotten so much money from GM for using their cars.

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