Only 100 "Tattoo" Edition MINI Coopers Will Be Available, Only In China#
Seven MINI Tattoo-edition vehicles have sold since the new online ordering system went online yesterday
On July 28, BMW-owned MINI announced a new online sales channel, debuting at the same time a new China-only "Tattoo" edition MINI Cooper. Limited to only 100 units, the highly customizable Tattoo MINI Cooper retails for 287,000 yuan (US$44,589). In yesterday's announcement, MINI said customers can outfit their Tattoo-edition vehicle and place orders through the official minichina.com.cn website and pick up their new car at their local MINI dealership. Customers in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Chengdu are also eligible to be picked up at home for individual test-drives.
The Tattoo MINI Cooper, which costs around 18,000 yuan (US$2,796) more than the standard MINI Cooper, sports a few features not seen on the regular model, including a graffiti-inspired Union Jack "tattoo" on the rear of the vehicle and a full flag on the roof, as well as a checkered flag decal on the passenger-side fender, special "red pepper" paint job and white alloy hubcaps. As part of the "Tattoo" promotion, buyers also receive either a fold-up bicycle or a rolling suitcase featuring MINI's trademark Union Jack logo.
Since launching yesterday, seven Tattoo-edition vehicles have already been sold through the MINI website, something that bodes well for the automaker's new online sales experiment. But whether promotions like the Tattoo MINI Cooper or the ongoing "Chinese Job" driving competition -- designed to give MINI a more masculine image in China -- will achieve their goals will remain to be seen.