Mini caused quite a stir this week with the new, all-electric version of its open-air Convertible model.
Limited to 999 units worldwide, UK buyers will need to stump up £52,500 (yes, really) to secure an example of the 2023 Mini Electric Convertible.
However, this isn’t the first time Mini has made headlines by revealing something with larger-than-life attributes…
A new Mini Adventure
Back in 2004, the reborn Mini brand was still a relatively new proposition. As part of that year’s Olympic Games in Athens, Mini set out to break a world record for how many people could fit inside one of its cars.
A total of 21 people were crammed inside a regular Mini, but many more could potentially have fitted inside the brand’s other big summer debut.
It may look like something from a fever dream, but Mini genuinely did create a stretched, six-wheel Cooper S, with seating inside for six people.
The full limo experience
Measuring some 6.3 metres in length, the Mini Cooper S XXL was constructed by a Los Angeles-based coachbuilder ahead of its Athens debut.
The extended bodywork necessitated an extra rear axle, while a John Cooper Works tuning kit boosted power from the supercharged 1.6-litre engine.
Inside, the Cooper S XXL benefited from all the luxuries expected of a limousine. These included air conditioning, a sunroof, leather seats, a built-in DVD player and a telephone to communicate with the driver.
The phone was needed due to the retractable flat-screen TV, which functioned as a partition wall between the passenger compartment and front seats.
A different kind of plug-in Mini
Star of the show was the two-person whirlpool at the rear of the car, which was hidden beneath a removable roof panel when not in use.
Mini pointed out that the XXL’s water feature could be emptied quickly by pulling the plug to drain it.
Following its debut in Greece, the Cooper S XXL appeared at a number of other automotive events until August 2004.
It then embarked on a lengthy tour of Europe and Asia, proving to audiences across the globe that small cars, as today, can deliver big surprises.
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