Mini 1499 GT review: New special edition pays tribute to 1960s classic and is a great buy – if you can find one
New limited edition Mini isn't fast but it's fun - and for just £17,000 could become a future classic
EVERYONE loves sporty stickers.
Porsche realised getting rid of the stickers on the old GT3 RS was a bad idea and slapped some XL graphics on the new one.
The Mini 1499 GT, limited to just 1,499 cars, has some neat stickers too.
It pays tribute to the classic 1969 1275 GT but adds more power and tech as you'd expect from a model 50 years newer.
One thing that hasn't really changed is the classic design with the limited edition 1499 GT keeping the boxy, compact look.
It also has the full John Cooper Works package, with 17in Track Spoke alloy wheels, a sportier front bumper, lower sideskirts and figure-hugging sports seats.
In fact, the low-slung, exclusive 1499 feels like it should be one of the fastest, most focused hot hatches in the line-up.
But it isn’t. Oddly, the 1499 GT is based on the slowest, most basic car in the range, the Mini One.
MINI 1499 GT
Key Facts
Price: £16,990 (if you can find one)
Engine: 1.5-litre 3-cylinder petrol
Economy: 57.6mpg
0-62mph: 10.1 seconds
Top speed: 121mph
Length: 3.8 metres
CO2: 114g/km
It has the thrummy but underpowered 1.5-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine, which pushes 101bhp through a snappy six-speed manual transmission.
With the finely tuned sports suspension, bucket seats and John Cooper Works steering wheel, the little engine is a let-down.
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The go-kart handling and razor-sharp steering are still there but the 1499 GT cries out for more power.
For that, look to the range-topping John Cooper Works Hatch, which thrills with fizzy performance and stupendous handling.
You can buy the Mini 1499 GT if you like exclusivity but that £16,990 price tag seems steep for some sporty stickers and little else.