Character Minis arrive

A REJUVANATED Mini, fresh from a 20 per cent sales increase in 2005, when it sold a record 2097 cars thanks largely to the popular Mini Cabrio, used last Thursday’s Melbourne motor show opening to reveal two cheeky new hatch variants dubbed Park Lane and Checkmate.

Due on sale early this year, both variants will be available in either Mini Cooper or Cooper S guise and feature unique paint schemes with a highlighted silver roof.

The Park Lane also offers Panther Black leather seats with piping, a duo-tone leather steering wheel, climate-control, 16-inch bridge-spoke alloys and high-intensity discharge headlights (Cooper S).

The sportier Checkmate offers Space Blue metallic paint with a chequered flag decal and silver mirror caps, plus a sunroof, anthracite headlining, Space Blue Checkmate cloth/leather sport seats, a sports two-tone steering wheel, 17-inch Flame-spoke alloys and the four-gauge centre binnacle-mounted Chrono pack.

Cooper Park Lane and Cooper Checkmate are priced from $34,500, while Cooper S Park Lane and Cooper S Checkmate are priced from $43,500. Mini also announced a new finance package and used car program dubbed Mini 360.