MF Exclusive: The WC50 is US Bound (w/Pricing)

Sections: JCW WC50 Apr 8th, 2010 62 Comments

Update: the US bound WC50 does not have the navigation included as it is everywhere else in the world. To us this makes the car slightly less of the good deal it was before and not quite as desirable.

Last year MINI introduced the ultimate JCW at MINI United at Silverstone with the WC50. Short for World Championship 50, the limited edition model includes a unique Connaught green exterior paint job with loads of one-off trim both inside and out. It’s truly the most remarkable looking new MINI we’ve ever seen at MF.

Initially we were told that a US allotment wasn’t in the cars due to production being capped at 250. However when MINI doubled production MINI USA started to ask US dealers if they’re be interested in the car. Apparently the feedback was positive enough that MINI USA has decided to import 50 cars to dealers that specifically requested the WC50. That means this will be the most limited edition MINI model ever – much more rare than even the GP. However that also means that if you’re not on a list or haven’t expressed interest in the car through a dealer, it may be hard to get one.

Since the WC50 is essentially a hand built JCW taken off the line at Oxford and finished elsewhere, the entire allotment should arrive in stages throughout April.

Initially pricing was expected to be close to the unthinkable mark of $50,000. However MINI USA pricing these (can we say aggressively?) at $39,600. Combined with the $700 shipping fee each JCW WC50 comes with the total is $40,300. While we’re sure there will be debate over the merits of the car versus the price, it doesn’t seem to matter all that much. We believe these cars will sell-out without much drama over the course of the next few months. But if you want to look at pricing critically, you’ll quickly realize that, to order a MINI with all of these options (sans the one-off components and trim) the final cost would be at least a few thousand over the $40k mark. In our minds MINI has pricing the WC50 as fair as possible given option costs.

Full Specifications

Standard Equipment

Anthracite Headlining
Automatic Air Conditioning
Bluetooth Telephone Audio Connection
Chrome Line Interior
Color Line, Rooster Red
Comfort Access
Front Fog Lamps
Full Bluetooth Preparation with USB Audio
Harman Kardon Hi-Fi System
Heated Front Seats
Multi-function Controls for Steering Wheel
Navigation System
Park Distance Control (PDC), rear
Voice Control
White Indicators

Special Edition Content:

17″ Cross-Spoke Challenge Alloy Wheels in Jet Black
Additional Driving Lights, Black
Bi-Xenon Lights with Black Interior Reflectors
Bonnet Stripes in Pepper White without Pin-Stripes, with John Cooper Signature on – - Driver’s Side
John Cooper Works 3-Spoke Sport Alcantara/Leather Steering Wheel
John Cooper Works Aerodynamic Kit
John Cooper Works Carbon Fibre Bonnet Scoop
John Cooper Works Carbon Fibre Front Door Grips
John Cooper Works Carbon Fibre Interior Trim with John Cooper Signature Plaque
John Cooper Works Carbon Fibre Mirror Caps
John Cooper Works Carbon Fibre Rear Diffuser
John Cooper Works Carbon Fibre Tailgate Handle
John Cooper Works Floor Mats, Carbon Black with Red Stitching
Leather Gearshift Gaiter, Carbon Black with Red Stitching
Leather Handbrake Gaiter, Carbon Black with Red Stitching
Side Scuttle Finisher Chrome Frame with Edition Number (0-250)

Written By: Gabe

http://www.facebook.com/andymadrid Andrew Madrid

Wow, that is one pricey mini cooper.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1145665586 DUDE!

Couldn’t sell enough of them elsewhere?
Chris Brake

This is pretty much a cosmetic upgrade with some minor albeit unique detailing, most of which you can equip the car with yourself. Cool, but no no thanks.
dr

“Overpaying” is the price of exclusivity. there are easily 50 and moreover there are easily 500 people who would not think twice about dropping the 40k to have such a great looking and exclusive car.

I would like to see a bit more substance in terms of performance upgrades for a car named the world championship… but these will sell fast and for good reason, this is the way a MINI was meant to look! This is no MC40 redux.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=707695212 Gregory Kaufman

Very, very nice. That is a lot of car for the money. I imagine if you tried to build it yourself – sans the one-off special items – you couldn’t get it for $40,000. Add that it’s a very limited edition, awesome. Although, I am guessing the dealers will not sell it for MSRP but instead for a premium over sticker.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1198355200 Matthew Adams

It’s great this model is being offered, but does it come with the JCW engine or suspension kit? Also, can one option NAV?
MatthewW

$40k is the new $30k.

Critics, keep in mind that this is a hand-built MINI. As Gabe said, this is a sell-out for sure.

What a terrific Special Edition, IMO.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1198355200 Matthew Adams

I see it has NAV. Sorry about that.
Mark Hunter

I just built as close as possible(surely I missed something) on the MINI USA configurator and ended up at $42,829. That was, of course, without some of the special stuff that doesn’t exist on the configurator. There will easily be 50 people in the US that want this car, if not for the color alone. I don’t think the price will be an issue.
SandClub

I tried to build one similar on MINIUSA.com, and the one I built was almost hitting $45,000. I say it’s a pretty good deal in some way.

Also, it may keep it’s value if there are only 50.

Better run to the dealership…
Augie05

Where’s the beef? This car looks cool but it would compare favorably with the GP until it also includes the JCW suspension. Otherwise, it is just a show car.
JonPD

Good move MINIUSA, will be glad to see some of these state side. Its the best looking R56 I’ve seen though I do agree with Augie05 that with the standard suspension still makes me wonder. I keep hoping apparently against reason that some day JCW will be something truly interesting, instead of a demi-performance car. Far fewer JCW50′s than the GP, but still think the bar with the GP was set far beyond this pretty car.
http://www.facebook.com/ron.myers Ron Myers

I was more excited about this version until I read the recent review in EVO. They gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars. And labeled it as a bit of a ‘missed opportunity’.
Jim

I am glad I got my deposit in about 1 year ago. My car was confirmed about 2 weeks ago as coming from the dealer.

MF needs to check their email more quickly. I let them know that it was coming then.

I am happy with he price. It is about 15k$ less than I was expecting.

This car will look great next to the ’67 S that is in the garage that is also BRG/W.
http://www.motoringfile.com/ Gabe

MF needs to check their email more quickly. I let them know that it was coming then.

Thanks Jim. Sometime we make a deal with the devil to get our information and sometimes that slows down the news by a few days.
Erik

Nice, but I’m keeping my GP.
Greg W

Only 50 for USA? NZ (4.5 million) only got 2 cars, and Australia (21 million) got only 10? Economies of scale? Rememeber that old classic Mini Cooper was made in limited numbers and look how rare they are getting now – they are a license to print money.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1610114987 Shawn Dillon

…hope to see the above MINI,in person,while taking part in the MTTS 2010…

…man…that car in NICE!
jason

I dont know what these things are:

Car Jack Exterior Mirror Pack Front Passenger Airbag Deactivation Switch Interior Lights Pack Passenger Seat Height Adjustment Storage Compartment Pack Universal Remote Control Visibility Pack Voice Control

John Cooper Works Carbon Fibre Front Door Grips

But mine came to $43,514

Regardless, i think its a gorgeous package. Does it have JCW or Sport or normal suspension?
Pingback: MINI Cooper JCW WC50 « All about MINI Cooper
ftttupwmcs

I first didn’t know its significance when I first saw it and later commented to someone that it was my favorite out of all of the thousands of Minis/MINIs at MU@Silverstone. I finally made it back later and found the press swarming it where I found out what it was. To me, this is the finest MINI yet devised due to its JCW performance, color and added bits.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24202791@N08/3578333099/sizes/l/
cze33r

I got to see and sit in a WC50 at the Melbourne F1 Grand Prix, the studio photos do not do Connaught Green justice. It literally stopped me in my tracks and IMHO that more than justifies the price. I think it’s a nice way for MINI to celebrate 50 years since John Cooper won the F1 World Championship.
http://www.motoringfile.com/ Gabe

I see it has NAV. Sorry about that.

Are you kidding? I wouldn’t even consider a new car without Nav.
Brian

@ftttupwmcs

Did anybody mention the insane ride height of the car when you were there?

That pic of the WC50 looks like its RAISED above stock height, especially the back. The camber even looks positive.
http://www.AUSmotive.com Liam

Great news guys! That pricing will be a lot sharper than I expect it to be in Australia, given our current favourable exchange rate against the US$.
ftttupwmcs

Brian, there were numerous comments but the only thing I can remember right now about suspension was that it didn’t come with the JCW suspension as standard. (Also, sorry the above image was posted-my intent was just for the link if anyone wanted to view it.) Cze33r, yes, this is the finest color(IMHO) combination but my images just couldn’t capture them. It seems like all of the images of my 2 BRG MINIs showed they were black. Also, the white top in person is a cream or pepper white color fyi.
alpinamike

Cant wait to see it. We are a large market, I knew this would take.

Better then a GP, maybe.
Hoover

Must win lottery this week and secure one of these…if it is not already too late. I am not a big fan of the aero kit, and yet I really like it on this car.
Gerard>

Gee, I’m sorry, but no big deal at that price. Cosmetic doo-dads do not a hot car make.

Now if they included carbon fiber BODY PANELS and a jacked engine ( you know they can do it, because RMW does…), then they’d have something noteworthy.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=529305914 Haemish Edgerton

Are you kidding? I wouldnâ€™t even consider a new car without Nav.

Gabe – you took his post out of context – he was responding to his own (earlier) post. He wants the Nav! He just didn’t realize at first that the WC50 does indeed come with it. Check his first post. :)

As for my thoughts on this car. Very pretty, very nice… BUT it’s completely and utterly STUPID that it comes with the base suspension. They’re billing this thing as the hottest MINI yet, but they can’t even put the JCW suspension in it as standard?

Utterly pathetic. Pretty… but a GP it ain’t.
Jon

Gabe, I’m continually perplexed by your love of factory Nav systems. They wreck the look of the dash, and add thousands of dollars to the sticker, when a Garmin Nuvi costs just a couple hundred at most, for the rare times when you actually NEED a nav system.

Factory Nav systems should NEVER be standard equipment; should always be optional…
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=508017905 Megan Russell

Hoover,

All 50 are already spoken for by the dealers. You would have to find a dealership that is getting one yet does not already have someone that is wanting to purchase it.

If you really want one I see two options. 1) email every single dealer (~100) and see if it unspoken for 2) pick one up from Ebay, etc. when someone flips it

Shawn Dillon, If mine shows up by then (it should before August) then the leg that goes near MO should see mine or at the final meet in Denver.
MCSDCWGP06

This is a nice move by MINI USA to get this beautiful car stateside. It has a balanced and stylish look. I look forward to seeing one up close, preferably on a road as I zip by in my GP…..booyah
that.guy

$40k will get you:

135i TT 370Z NISMO Loaded Evo Loaded STI

It’s a nice shade of green, but seriously people…
Pingback: Report: Mini Cooper World Championship 50 headed for U.S. with brand’s biggest-ever price tag | VTPR Cars Cars and More Cars
Micah

Really not feelin’ this one as a way for Cooper to celebrate it’s F1 racing heritage. Other than the color, there is not a single change that cannot otherwise be specified on a normal MINI. Beyond that, the specs like leather seats and nav add luxury and weight, the antithesis of performance. Why not spec JCW suspension and 4-piston brakes instead, especially on a vehicle marketed as the WC50? It’s almost a joke IMO.

Sorry, but this seems like nothing more than a stop-gap marketing exercise to me. The color looks great and should be an option on future MINIs, but beyond that I don’t understand.
rkw

Why not spec JCW suspension and 4-piston brakes instead

It’s a factory JCW and comes with the 4-piston brakes (you can see them in the pictures). No JCW suspension though.
http://blog.markcichy.com Mark

Man, when I see people complaining about the $40+k price tag for this car I just shake my head. You guys (in the US specifically) don’t realize how great a price that is! I just took delivery of my 2010 JCW Clubman and after taxes, delivery and options the car came in at just under $60k CAD!!! Grant it has all carbon, jcw aero kit (nice one), NAV, JCW suspension and anything else you can tick accessories. But that WC50 is almost exactly that minus the suspension. I think that price is insanely fair! So what, spend another $2k on the suspension and you’re still walking out of there with a fabulous car for less than $50k. Impossible on the north side of the border. I wish we had pricing like the US, sadly our market is too small to justify accepting even 1 of these babies!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1232156929 Mike Roberts

Jon… IMO the factory nav completes (and somewhat rectifies) the look of the interior not wrecks it. This is my opinion. You are welcome to yours.
goat

My opinion… on R53, NAV looks a bit wonky (but the twin steering column guages make up for this as they look great!).

On R56, anything to change the silver plastic empty and huge speedo+radio is a good thing, and the NAV does just that. It’s silly to spec factory NAV for aesthetic reasons but it truly does improve the centre console on the R56.

@ Mark – I hear you on CDN pricing being an ongoing scam on both MINIs, bimmers, and most cars in fact. An S can be had (bare bones, admittedly) for just over $20K in the US but in Canada is nearly $10K more (even a Classic Package Cooper is $23K!). Adjusting for the greater equipment level our cars come with, our MINIs and Bimmers still run about $8000 too expensive. That is a lot of delta for a dollar at par. No wonder more Canucks are hiring an importer, paying their typically $2K fee, and pocketing a year’s worth of car payments by importing a US car!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=814825706 Sideways Eh!

Canadian Dealers had the opportunity when the 2010′s came into play…however, due to the price I am pretty sure all the dealers turned them down. I could be wrong, but this MINI is what Collectors are going to be looking for in 20 years…this is an investment…a wickedly fun investment!!!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=814825706 Sideways Eh!

@ Goat…

You are 100% correct in the cost of importing a MINI from the states…and the excuse of economies of scale are begining to wear on me as well…

Regardless of the difference in Dollar (inflation and intrest rates will bring the currency back into balance) it is a good time to buy from the states if you are a Canuck…
lavardera

Love the green. Like the jcw body kit and grill, and the side indicator trims. Pref body color hood scoop unless the whole hood was cf. Don’t really care for the driving lights on the bumper. Don’t care about the black headlight surrounds – wtf is so great about that? Would never want the factory nav – speedo without a needle just don’t work for me. Don’t care for the red trim inside. But I’d still get it if I had the money to burn!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000080157298 Justin Octavi

Love the color but I am a little concerned about why MINI didn’t wait to release this little gem until AFTER the interior refresh. I think that would have been the cherry on top. JCW suspension is nice but there are plenty of aftermarket coilover suspensions that offer more versatility and at a lower price. Nice MINI but pricey IMO.
dr

@ Mark â€“ I hear you on CDN pricing being an ongoing scam on both MINIs, bimmers, and most cars in fact. An S can be had (bare bones, admittedly) for just over $20K in the US but in Canada is nearly $10K more (even a Classic Package Cooper is $23K!). Adjusting for the greater equipment level our cars come with, our MINIs and Bimmers still run about $8000 too expensive. That is a lot of delta for a dollar at par. No wonder more Canucks are hiring an importer, paying their typically $2K fee, and pocketing a yearâ€™s worth of car payments by importing a US car!

I think if one was to really delve into it I think you will find that taxes and fees the govt. imposes drives alot of the cost delta…..But hey that’s the cost of “free” _________.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=814825706 Sideways Eh!

@ dr

“free” Beer “free” lottery ticket “free” coffee from Tim Horton’s “free” kick in the junk???

dunno what “free” you are refering to…
goat

@ dr – No offense intended but you are quite wrong in presuming that “big government” is to blame for the CDN-US vehicle pricing differential. The issue of disproportionally higher CDN vehicle pricing has been investigated quite thoroughly by several analysts a couple of years ago when dollar parity was first achieved. If you wish to review one such report: http://www.desrosiers.ca/2007%20Update/Documents%20and%20Reports/2006%20OBS/obs2006-6-The%20Canada%20-%20U.S.%20Vehicle%20Pricing%20Differential%20Revised.pdf

Next, factor in that Canadian median salaries are lower and income taxes are higher (you are absolutely right about that!) and you begin to understand why smaller cars (i.e., less expensive) are so popular in Canada. Granted, we tend to have a more euro sensibility in our car selections, especially in Quebec and in British Columbia (greater percentage of stick shifts, diesels, hatchbacks sold in our market) but the biggest factor is just how expensive our new car market is relative to the US. Hence, creation of the import market – which BMW and other OEM’s strongly tried to discourage a couple of years ago by lobbying for increased regulatory complexities at the border as well as by threatening to not honor warranties. NAFTA seems to work reasonably well at the big business level, but it has yet to be implemented at the consumer level…
dr

@goat

I always appreciate facts and data so no offense taken. That article did an excellent job of documenting the disparity but came up well short on explaining why it exists. But, The piece acknowledged that currency factor doesn’t explain the whole price difference and there was no comparative information on how the regulatory and importation costs differ between the us and canada.

Now that we are completely off topic of WC50 discussion, I’ll excuse myself and sit down and be quiet….so we can get back to the WC50
goat

@dr – we have veered off topic for sure but always good to chat with a fellow MINI fan… Have a good weekend! :)
BilboBaggins

If they really wanted to celebrate their F1 history the WC50 should be a gutted out, lightweight, high horsepower, fully kitted suspension, light wheeled, no frills street legal race car. So, if it only would appeal to a few people, at $40 large it still only appeals to a very few.

As for the factory GPS. It is not something I would ever want permanently installed in a car, any car. Especially one that I plan to keep for more than a year or two. Technology changes much too fast and the installed pieces would be tragically outdated long before I would be getting rid of the car. So I’ll stick with portable aftermarket GPS.

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