New MINI Cooper Paul Smith Edition 2026 review: fun, unique and understated

Verdict

The MINI Cooper Paul Smith collaboration is a lesson in modern British fashion. It’s simultaneously understated yet fun and unique, even though the changes are merely cosmetic. We’d have appreciated a bit more flamboyance in accordance with the designer’s previous work with MINI, but as an overall tribute the Paul Smith Edition is a welcome one. 

What do the Porsche 911, Mazda MX-5 and MINI Cooper have in common? Well, they’re all partial to a special edition. And for the British brand, the latest is the Paul Smith Edition, which aims to incorporate the style of the iconic fashion designer with the unmistakable shape of a MINI.

This isn’t the first time that Paul Smith and MINI have collaborated; far from it, in fact. In 1998, the Paul Smith Mini was created from a classic 1.3-litre Mini Cooper, painted in a bespoke colour now known as ‘Paul Smith Blue’. The following year, to mark the 40th anniversary of the car, Smith leaned on his characteristic stripe design (also the backdrop to his website) with 86 stripes in 26 colours adorning the full length of another original Mini. 

In more recent years, we saw the 2021 MINI STRIP go back to basics, focusing on sustainability and retaining only what Smith deemed absolutely necessary. In the process, this created what was almost a MINI Electric ‘Superleggera’, with no paint, carpet or touchscreens. In 2022, we were treated to the MINI Recharged by Paul Smith, an electrified version of his original 1998 creation. 

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Taking their partnership “to the next level”, according to MINI, is the MINI Paul Smith Edition, which was initially revealed in 2025 with the sole option of pure-electric power, but can be had with petrol and as three-door, five-door or even a convertible. 

The one we’ve got our hands on is the electric Cooper SE three-door – to our eyes the purest design in the current MINI catalogue, so arguably the correct choice to show off the artistry of one of Britain’s most celebrated designers. 

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So what does the MINI Paul Smith Edition bring? Well, if you’re not familiar with Paul Smith’s work, it’ll probably look like someone’s pressed a randomiser button on the MINI configurator. But for those in the know, it’s a subtle and sophisticated fusion of Smith’s ‘classic with a twist’ design language. 

First off, there’s no way of recreating the MINI Paul Smith Edition for the Monochrome, Classic, Exclusive or Sport ‘Styles’; it’s a unique design as a whole. Sadly, there’s no full-body stripe ensemble as was the case with the 40th anniversary car, but you do get a no-cost choice of three main body colours. 

Inspired White is a contemporary homage to the classic Mini Beige according to MINI, and Midnight Black Metallic is sourced from the current MINI line-up. Our car is finished in Statement Grey, and is a modern interpretation of the classic Mini Austin Seven colour from 1959. In the real world, there’s much more of a bluish hue than the name would suggest.

There are several options for the roof, too. On one side you can get the colourful Signature Stripe, with the rest painted in Nottingham Green – a nod to Smith’s hometown, and also found shrouding the front grille and wing mirror caps. You can have the roof to match the body colour, too, or like our car, with Jet Black stripes in matt and gloss finishes. For the Convertible, there’s simply a black soft-top. Given there’s no cost difference between them we’d opt for the green with the colourful stripes. In fact it seems odd that MINI bothered to offer a less distinctive alternative here.

You only get one wheel style – an 18-inch black alloy rim, although it does feature green Paul Smith script within the centre cap. Other subtle changes include a dark navy colour to the side skirts and lower sections of the front rear bumper, plus on the bootlid handle there’s a Paul Smith logo, with a small stripe on top of the rear window. 

Then there’s the interior. Open the door and you’ll immediately notice the sill has a new, upbeat phrase written on it: ‘Every day is a new beginning’, which is actually Paul Smith’s motto. 

At night, there’s also a hand-written ‘Hello’ light projection on the ground. Tweaks for the cabin include a stylised ‘rabbit’ sketch on the floor mats, a striped dashboard, a Paul Smith script on the lower edge of the steering wheel, with the fabric third spoke featuring colours to mimic Paul Smith’s signature stripe. The seats are particularly nice – they’re upholstered in two-tone blue leather, with striped fabric along with Paul Smith badging on the backs, and they feel especially high-quality. 

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We’ve found MINI’s current OLED round touchscreen a point of contention, as it’s both a uniquely interesting screen design but a slight faff to use, with Apple CarPlay not being integrated very well and various menus being too hard to access. Providing a great example of its fun design and annoying ergonomics, the Paul Smith Edition adds three unique background themes for the infotainment, but they're buried within the ‘Experiences’ sub-menu, and you could easily miss this little Easter egg. 

The Paul Smith Edition also gives us a chance to revisit the all-electric MINI. Yes, you can get it with those other aforementioned bodystyles and with a petrol engine, but the three-door, all-electric MINI with its bespoke body makes it the most suitable choice for this design-led project. 

You can get the Paul Smith Edition in standard Cooper E form from £32,705, but that version is a tough sell. With only a 36.6kWh battery providing a maximum 186-mile range, it really isn’t good enough to compete with the similarly priced Volkswagen ID.3 Neo and Kia EV3, which offer 258 miles and 270 miles respectively.

For just £1,000 more, the Cooper SE is more palatable with a 49.2kWh battery offering 247 miles. Just as when we tested the Cooper E (which was fantastically efficient at 4.5 miles per kWh), the SE did the electric equivalent of sipping fuel as it clocked 4.2 miles per kWh – roughly around what MINI says it can do to reach that maximum range figure. This was mainly at motorway speeds during a heatwave, so the air-con was on full blast, too. 

To drive, the Paul Smith Edition is no different to the standard Cooper SE, which is a very good thing if you’re looking for an EV that’s genuinely fun. Around town, though, the suspension sits on the wrong side of firm, which is a surprise given the MINI has typically excellent urban-friendly traits elsewhere such as its light, connected steering and zippy and responsive powertrain.

And the price premium the Paul Smith Edition commands over the Sport? Well, it’s £2,300 if you’re comparing the Cooper E, while it’s only £300 extra in Cooper SE trim – which even if you’re no stripe enthusiast looks a good deal. 

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