MINI USA has revealed the 1998 GT Edition, a limited-run version of the Cooper C 2 Door named for the 1,998 cc displacement of its turbocharged four-cylinder and positioned as the third car in the GT lineage after the 1969 Mini 1275 GT and the MINI 1499 GT. It is the sixth of eight special editions in MINI’s Icon Drops campaign, priced at $36,875 plus $1,350 destination, with production starting in October 2026 and a limited number of cars reaching U.S. dealers beginning in November. Preorders are open now through MINI dealers.
The car keeps the standard Cooper C powertrain, a 2.0-liter turbo four rated at 161 hp and 184 lb-ft driving the front wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, but adds John Cooper Works suspension and brakes along with JCW paddle shifters. Outside, it is offered only in Midnight Black Metallic with a black roof and mirror caps, contrasted by orange lower-body graphics carrying “1998 GT” lettering, an orange GT rear badge, and GT wheel center caps. The JCW aero kit in gloss black adds front, side, and rear winglets, and the car rides on 17-inch JCW Sprint Spoke Black wheels with all-season tires.
Inside, JCW Sport Seats are trimmed in Black Vescin with Black Knit, and the heated three-spoke JCW steering wheel carries a GT insert. Edition-specific floor mats with GT piercing, door entry sills, a key fob cap, and a center console storage box lid complete the package. The Signature Plus trim with the Comfort Package is included in the edition’s specification.
The 1275 GT ran from 1969 to 1980 as the successor to the original Cooper S, and MINI revived the formula with the 1499 GT, which launched in Europe in late 2017 and reached the U.S. for the 2021 model year. The 1998 GT joins the 1965 Victory Edition, the Cooper S 4 Door Red Line Edition, the Paul Smith Editions, the Cooper Heritage Edition, and the Rooftop Editions as the previous Icon Drops, a series that runs through 2026 and into 2027 during the modern MINI’s 25th anniversary year.
On the pricing sheet, the $36,875 total builds from the 2027 Cooper C 2 Door’s $29,500 base with $650 for the paint, $2,400 for Signature Plus with the Comfort Package, $1,500 for the JCW Style package, $1,600 for the JCW aero kit, and $1,225 for the 1998 GT Edition content, which puts it $4,075 above a Cooper S 2 Door. MINI has not announced production numbers.
GalleryPhotos by MINI
