MINI USA is bringing back a familiar GT look with the MINI 1998 GT Edition, a limited-run version of the Cooper C 2 Door inspired by the classic Mini 1275 GT and the later MINI 1499 GT.
Despite the name, this is not a tribute to the year 1998. The number refers to the car’s 1,998 cc turbocharged engine. The edition combines black paint, orange graphics and John Cooper Works-inspired styling with a set of GT-specific details.
MINI 1998 GT Edition brings back black and orange
The exterior uses Midnight Black Metallic with a black roof and mirror caps. Orange stripes run along the lower body, carrying the 1998 GT name, while GT badging and matching accents continue the theme.
MINI specifies 17-inch JCW Sprint Spoke wheels in black and a gloss-black John Cooper Works aero kit. These are appearance and equipment details on a Cooper C-based edition: the announcement does not describe it as a full John Cooper Works performance model or claim a power increase.
GT details inside
The cabin has John Cooper Works Sport Seats in Black Vescin with Black Knit, plus a heated three-spoke JCW steering wheel with GT badging.
The edition also gets its own floor mats and door-entry sills, wheel center caps, a key-fob cover, a steering-wheel insert and a center-console storage-box lid. These smaller pieces carry the GT theme beyond the exterior stripes.
U.S. price and planned arrivals
MINI’s September 16 announcement lists the equipped 2027 Cooper C 2 Door 1998 GT Edition at $36,875, plus $1,350 destination and handling. That is $38,225 including the listed destination charge, before taxes and other applicable charges.
The release’s equipment table starts with a $29,500 base MSRP and adds Midnight Black Metallic, Signature Plus Trim with Comfort Package, JCW Style, the aero kit and the GT-specific content. The 17-inch wheels and listed seat material are included in that specification.
Production is planned to begin in October 2026, with a limited number of cars expected at U.S. MINI dealers from November. MINI did not give an exact production quantity in the release.
The sixth MINI Icon Drop
The 1998 GT Edition is the sixth of eight U.S. special-edition releases planned in MINI’s Icon Drops campaign for 2026. It follows the 1965 Victory Edition, Red Line Edition, Paul Smith Editions, Heritage Edition and Rooftop Editions.
For classic Mini enthusiasts, the connection is the GT name and its visual character rather than a recreation of the original car. This edition uses that heritage for a modern Cooper C, with the orange-on-black treatment doing most of the talking.
Source: MINI USA’s September 16, 2026 release via NewsPress USA.
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