ALPINA made a name for itself by pampering big BMWs with large-displacement engines. But this car doesn’t carry the famous roundel, nor does it have a V8 under the hood. Twenty years ago, the specialists from Buchloe worked their magic on a MINI Cooper S (R53). Yet, just like the ALPINA i8 that never materialized, this hot hatch was also left on the cutting room floor.
Sadly, just a one-off, the “Lux” made a surprise appearance during ALPINA’s 60th anniversary event. Held at the Penzing air base in Bavaria, the gathering brought together over 650 cars and 2,000 people. While BMWs from various decades were undoubtedly the main attraction, this supercharged little machine didn’t go unnoticed.
Our friends from Motor1.com Deutschland graciously allowed us to share these images of the one-of-a-kind MINI by ALPINA. The Cooper S received a variety of dark blue accents, visible on the front and rear aprons, wheel arches, and side mirror caps. Further distinguishing it from the regular car were clear taillights, including the third brake light. ALPINA’s signature wheels are impossible to miss, and this elegant design was later offered as an official accessory for the R50 and R53.
Inside, ALPINA bathed the two-tone interior in Alcantara, covering just about every surface with the microfiber material. The blue-and-gray seat upholstery extended onto the door cards, while plastic trim pieces were spruced up with soft-touch blue lacquer. Had it gone into production, the MINI badges would likely have been replaced with ALPINA’s logo.
However, the Cooper S “Lux” never made it past the prototype stage. ALPINA CEO Andreas Bovensiepen revealed in an interview a few years ago that high costs would have made the car too expensive. It’s also safe to assume that there were concerns that too few customers would be interested. Instead, ALPINA shifted its focus to the 6 Series (E63/E64).
Since the MINI project was killed in its infancy, the four-cylinder, 1.6-liter engine remained untouched. It still produced the factory-rated 168 horsepower and 162 pound-feet (220 Newton-meters) of torque, sent to the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox. At the time, MINI quoted a 0-62 mph (100 km/h) sprint in 7.2 seconds and a top speed of 138 mph (222 km/h).
The Cooper S “Lux” arrived a few years before Aston Martin attempted something similar with the Toyota iQ. The luxed-up Cygnet was a fancier version of the city car, created to help the British automaker meet EU fleet emissions regulations in the early 2010s. Unlike the MINI, it actually went into production, but only for two years. Sales were dismal: Aston Martin had hoped to move 4,000 units annually but ended up selling fewer than 150.
Photos: Motor1.com Deutschland