The Rolls Royce MINI to be Named “Goodwood”?

For 2010 MINI will roll-out the next of it’s high-end limited edition models with the help of Rolls Royce Motor Cars. Since we broke the story about the RR MINI last May, few details have made their way out of either Munich Germany or Goodwood England (Rolls’ headquarters). But that’s not to say we don’t have some of the basics down. For starters the car will feature Ming Blue exterior paint with ultra soft leather and high gloss plastic on much of the interior surfaces. More specifically look for a custom dash, headliner and other signature items. The images seen earlier in the year on MF showed much if this on an earlier test mule. While the final trim and specifications have changed slightly, we expect the car to carry on much the way we see it in the photos above.

However there is one big piece of information we haven’t pried from our sources yet; what the cars final name will be. For obvious reasons using the Rolls Royce brand name doesn’t really make sense on the MINI platform. But what could BMW use that harkens to all of the history, pomp and circumstance that the RR conjures up? Our sources are telling us the answer will be Goodwood.

The name is synonymous with high class motor cars for a couple of reasons. For one the Goodwood Revivial and the Goodwood Festival of Speed are both some of the biggest events on the UK’s motoring calendar every year. But more importantly Goodwood is the home of all Rolls Royce design, engineering and manufacturing.

So we have a name, we have a general spec. What about price? We know from early sources that the car should be priced around well above any current MINI in stock form. We’ve even heard $50,000 isn’t out of the question for what has to be called the ultimate (not the fastest mind you) factory MINI ever made.

We expect the Goodwood MINI to debut in early 2010 with sales beginning in the spring if all goes well. And unlike the WC50 US sales seem to be very much part of the plan.