Apparently the New Zealand Mini Cooper market is the strongest on earth, because two new models have been announced specifically for that market.  Two limited edition MINI John Cooper Works World Championship 50 models will be made available for purchase.

Sure, it’s especially good news if you A. love tiny cars beyond all reason and rationality or B. loved the movie The Italian Job like no tomorrow and can’t wait to go pezzing aroudn in their tiny car.

It’ll be a bit of a wait, however, before you can get your hands on one of these, even if you ARE interested in owning one: they’re not intended to come out until April of 2010.

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Arden MINI Cooper Equipe

German tuner Arden has turned its focus on the MINI Cooper, with the release of a special edition model called Equipe. The Arden MINI will be produced in a limited run of only 40 units that sport both mechanical and styling upgrades. On the exterior, a handmade stainless steel and chrome grille embellishes the front and rear-end while the new chrome tailpipes and the 18-inch lightweight (6.9kg or 15.2 lbs) Arden Gram aluminum wheels finish off the styling changes. 

Inside, the dashboard, seats, steering wheel and doors are wrapped in two-tone leather. Other finishing touches include custom made foot pedals and special floor mats. This Arden Mini also receives engine upgrades including an additional 40hp as well as sport suspension and high-performance 6-piston brakes at the front axle. Arden has not released pricing details yet.

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MINI Speedster

There have been rumors of a two-seater convertible Mini for some time, and now latest reports say the car has been given the go- ahead for production. By making the car a strict two-seater, BMW can use the same platform that the Mini Cooper Cabrio currently sits on and BMW will be able to easily mix and match parts from its current stock for the eventual Speedster lineup.

The speedster will be much sportier than the current range of Mini models and will likely be wider and lower than current four-seaters and will definitely be the more aggressive Mini in the family. Additionally, the car will most likely have a soft-top to keep weight down, but a removable hard-top could also be available. Under the hood, expect to see the range of engines that are currently seen in the MINI Cooper. BMW is yet to affirm its production, a launch date for the car is reported to be sometime in 2011.

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Remember the Mini E which just went all-electric on us? Well the car is going to be available for a one year lease at just $820/month. The two-seat Mini comes with a 28 kWh lithium ion battery pack which will get you a 150 mile range. The electric engine will get you some 204 hp and 162 lt.-ft. of torque to that single-sped gearbox. The Mini E will go from 0 to 60 in just a little under 8.5, not that you’re going to fly one off to the moon or anything like that. So Cooper fans, what do you think? Ready to get the Mini E?

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The Mini Cooper is a car I’d like to drive from time to time. There’s something magical about this small car. After all I wouldn’t go ahead and drive any small car.

The new convertible Mini, called R57 is said to be unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in January. While the overall exterior design seems to have very little changes, you’ll find more significant changes under the hood. There’s a new 1.6 liter BMW/PSA/Peugeot-Citroen engine to power the new convertible.

All we need now is official launch details and more detailed pictures of the new convertible.

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