Cooper's Final Move is a Checkmate

The MINI Cooper S is a car that's loved by nearly everyone. It's cute,

Checkmate gives MINI fans something new to look out for on the road. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

it's zippy, it's fun to drive and has bags upon bags of character. It's an excellent automobile that captures the heart and soul of British motoring at its best.

But now that it's been out on the market for three years, with a midlife update in between, it seems as if even the most unique MINIs are becoming commonplace. In order to help the latest batch of Oxford-built super Coopers to carry a little more visual oomph, MINI has put together the limited edition Checkmate appearance package.

The Checkmate is one of four different packages offered by MINI across the globe in 2006. First up, there's the Park Lane package for the regular Cooper which adds an elegant, tweedy British twist. You get Jaguar-esque ribbed leather trim on the seats, special 3D-weave patina, and chromed accent trim on the interior and exterior, not to mention special alloy wheels and Royal Gray paint. No, you don't get a tea set specially fitted for the cupholders or wicker picnic hampers integrated into the rear cargo compartment, even though they played an integral part of the MINI Tourer Tokyo Concept. There's also the Seven, which provides a little extra spunk to the base-model (unavailable in North America) 90-horsepower MINI One or One D (diesel) by adding Solar Red paint contrasting with gloss-black accents, piano key interior trim and a matching seat pattern.

Of

These stripes can be had on the regular Cooper as well. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

the new variations added, the Canadian market only gets two - the Quicksilver (featuring the previously exclusive red, gray and blue paints, silver roof and badges) on the naturally aspirated Cooper and the Checkmate, which is exclusively available for the supercharged Cooper S. Neither package can be fitted to the soft-top convertible. All of this specificity goes out the window if you live south of the border, because you can have a non-S Checkmate Cooper with all of the same visual goodies. It's all a bit confusing, but it adds to the mystique of the MINI, the individual factor that ensures that in your lifetime, you probably won't come across two identically specified vehicles.

A walk around a Checkmated S, and a few of its trademark features pop out. It wears checkered decals, which are draped down the front fenders, plus features MINI's new-style hood stripes, which wrap themselves around the hood scoop, highlighting the extra intake. Both details are in silver, which matches the silver-painted roof, spoiler and mirrors. You also get different 'Flame Spoke' 17-inch flame spoke wheels, which ride on some of the lowest profile rubber in the industry. Like the rest of the car, they look smart, but unlike the car, they're the first to get dirty, coated in the unmistakable blackened hue of German brake dust. Finally, you get your choice of colour, between exclusive Space Blue, Astro Black, or Royal Gray metallic paint; the latter as seen here.
 
Inside, well-bolstered Cooper S sports seats are trimmed in Space Blue leather,

Blue and light gray trim makes the Cooper S Checkmate feel like a custom-mate conversion. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

while the seatbacks and cushions are finished in Checkmate-spec silver-coloured cloth that has an affinity for gripping pants and shirt. Rather than having the standard alloy-finish dashboard trim, you get a Space Blue-coloured patina, while the steering wheel is finished in two-toned blue and silver leather, all stitched up with contrast thread. Checkmate sill plates mark the final touches on the interior.

As simple as these changes may sound, their unique look and colour contrast really jazz up the cabin, giving it a customized feel, and promoting the one of a kind exclusivity that MINI typifies.