First Look: MINI’s 66 Collection – Retro Inspired Limited Edition

DimON · August 4

Special editions have finally arrived for MINI’s new generation, and the first two are eye-catchers. Called the 66 Collection, this pair celebrates the brand’s 66th birthday with heritage-inspired graphics and factory-fitted JCW accessories while introducing the first-ever John Cooper Works Electric alongside the latest petrol JCW. Only six cars are earmarked for Singapore, and they are, in our view, the best-looking examples of the new platform so far. But my lord are they pricey.

No extra go, just Extra Retro show

There are no mechanical changes here. Power, torque, suspension settings, and tyre specs mirror the standard JCW Electric and JCW petrol models. The difference lies in a factory bundle of JCW accessories that owners would normally have to order à la carte:

18-inch Rallye Spoke wheels with self-levelling hub caps
Red-and-black Multitone roof on the Electric
Heritage “66” bonnet and door graphics
Gloss-black aero pieces, including a deeper rear diffuser and C-pillar aeroblade

Think of it as a styling package with a numbered plaque straight from Oxford. But wow, do these special editions look good to us. In fact, these are easily the best-looking MINIs we’ve seen from this fourth generation of cars that were released 18 months ago. While there are no interior changes, the exterior colors, trim, accessories, and even wheels create a vintage vibe that’s been missing from modern MINIs for the past couple of years.

Two drivetrains – No Mechanical Changes

Model	Powertrain	Output	0-100 km/h	Range / Top speed
JCW Electric	Single-motor BEV	258 hp / 258 ft lbs	6.0 s*	124 mph
JCW Petrol	2.0-litre turbo-four	231 hp / 280 ft lbs	6.1 s	155 mph

*with 20 kW overboost engaged

Both cars keep the standard power output and chassis tune. The Electric retains its model-specific damping and sticky rubber, while the petrol JCW stays with the familiar dual-clutch gearbox and loads of extra . Pricing will hinge on exclusivity and accessories rather than any performance lift.

Pricing is Not For the Faint of Heart

First off, I hope you’re sitting down. The cost of these special editions will be eye-watering or anyone not use to Singapore car pricing.

Model	Pricing
MINI John Cooper Works Petrol (F66)	$302,888 (235,189 USD)
MINI John Cooper Works EV (J01)	$267,888 (208,012 USD)

Cars in Singapore feel eye-wateringly expensive because the Government stacks multiple layers of taxes and quotas on top of a vehicle’s base price, all designed to keep private-car numbers in check on a very small island. Here is how the cost pyramid works.

Cost layer	What it is	Typical impact
Open Market Value (OMV)	Assessed import value of the car before local taxes	Example: S$25 000 for a small hatch
Excise Duty	20 percent of OMV	Adds S$5 000 on that hatch
GST	9 percent of (OMV + Excise)	Adds another ~S$2 700
Registration Fee	Flat S$350	Minor but unavoidable
Additional Registration Fee (ARF)	Tiered tax of 100–320 percent of OMV (higher tiers for pricier cars)	Can triple the OMV; that small hatch now owes S$25 000 more
Certificate of Entitlement (COE)	Ten-year auction permit that caps vehicle numbers	Bids hovered around S$100 000 for most car categories in 2025
Vehicular Emissions Scheme & Road Tax	Emissions surcharge or rebate plus annual engine-size tax	Adds a few hundred to several thousand dollars each year

In other words, don’t blame MINI for this one.

Singapore Only But Potentially More Markets to Follow

MINI Asia loves a boutique run, and the 66th birthday provided the perfect excuse. However if you know how MINI works, don’t be surprised to see similar appearance packs landing in other markets within the next year. After all accessories-plus-graphics formula scales easily without extra homologation costs.