Gold Mini Cooper with Arabic calligraphy debuts at Mid East Motor Show

The classical Arabic calligraphy reads "Al houb min awal nazra", which is the Arabic equivalent of the MINI brand's international tag line "Is it love?" and gives the car a truly poetic look.

The new look MINI, complete with Arabic calligraphy, made its regional debut yesterday, on the MINI stand at the 7th Middle East International Motor Show that runs until Monday, at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre.

"'Is it love?' sums up the emotional attachment many people have with MINI, both owners and non-owners," said Robert Bailey-McEwan, BMW Group's Managing Director, Middle East. "People fall in love with this chic and cheeky car, a car that seems to smile at you. It is an emotional car to buy.

"Gold is an exclusive new colour on the MINI Cooper for 2004. It's a special and appropriate colour for the Middle East. And of course, Dubai is the City of Gold."

The Arabic calligraphy, featured on the newest addition to the MINI range, is a one-off and not part of the MINI Lifestyle collection. But it suggests what owners can do to personalise their cars.

"For every 10,000 MINIs that come off the production line, you'd have a hard time finding two that are exactly alike," said Bailey-McEwan. "And that isn't just down to the 100 or so special options which buyers can select and combine at will.

"Behind the scenes there are numerous additional options that the customer will rarely notice. These variants are designed to provide MINI owners with the optimal car for their needs. Each of our importer partners can help customers implement their own, unique ideas for their MINIs."

Another addition to the MINI Cooper S colour palette is Pepper White, previously only available on the MINI Cooper. Extended to the MINI Cooper S model by popular demand, Pepper White provides a unique backdrop for the top-of-the-range model's sporty stripes and accessories.