Click for hi-res gallery of the Agent Provocateur MINI Clubman
Back in April we brought you initial news of the special-edition MINI Clubman designed by British lingerie house Agent Provocateur, and gladly brought you updates with more photos and made cracks at the expense of Max Mosley along the way. The vehicle has now been sold on eBay in Austria as an AIDS fundraiser – which, as one of our commenters noted, seems a little at odds with the overtly sexual theme of the vehicle – for a whopping €45k (equivalent to about $70,000) after no fewer than 77 bids were placed over the course of the ten-day auction.
Of course, the identity of the buyer – listed as rene181066 – was not disclosed. We'd think it was a certain head of a certain motorsport body, but the buyer's feedback is flawless at 100%, so there goes that theory.
Check out the vehicle's stats after the jump and peruse the NSFW images in the gallery below.
PRESS RELEASE:
LIFE BALL MINI 2008 BY AGENT PROVOCATEUR
For the eighth time in succession, MINI will support the Life Ball again in 2008. As the biggest Aids charity event in Europe, this is an excellent platform for MINI to demonstrate its commitment to social issues. In addition, MINI once again provided a car that was restyled especially for the Life Ball.
The Life Ball MINI is traditionally designed by the fashion designer to whom the fashion show at the opening event is dedicated - in 2008 this was the English lingerie label Agent Provocateur. The starting point chosen for the exclusive one-off design was the new MINI Clubman. Agent Provocateur, founded by Serena Rees and her husband Joseph Corre, son of fashion doyenne Vivienne Westwood, is known for its wicked, burlesque collections - and this year's Life Ball MINIM was designed accordingly.
Exterior/interior:
"We really enjoyed giving the MINI Clubman our unique brand look. The new shape of the MINI is so reminiscent of the old Mini police car that we immediately came up with the idea of giving the interior a makeover in the Agent Provocateur style, so that you'd actually want to be arrested. The classic exterior has been pepped up a little, using the Agent Provocateur signature colours of Pink and Black and finished off with a pink flashing light. Inside there is a truly seductive prison cell which is fitted out with leather loops as manacles that are attached directly to the walls, as well as mirrored windows and metallic prison bars.
"Always under the assumption that the long arm of the law requires plenty of space when questioning a prisoner, we fitted our Agent Provocateur police MINI Van with couch seats in the back and leg restraints for forensic examinations. The quilted leather seats and tailor-made compartments for notebook and pen, the Agent Provocateur MINI police car is the perfect vehicle for finding a criminal's hidden treasures, don't you think?" says Joseph Corre, founder of lingerie label Agent Provocateur.
The designer MINI 2008 made its debut in front of 40,000 spectators at this year's Life Ball in Vienna's town hall square. Escorted by four models, with Joseph Corre at the wheel and Sophie Ellis Bextor as the front-seat passenger, the Life Ball MINI 2008 opened the fantastic show on Vienna's town hall square.
Vehicle data:
Model: MINI Cooper Clubman
Colour: Black
Upholstery: Leather, black
Engine: 1.6 litres, 4 cylinders / 16 valves
Rated output: 88 kW (120 bhp) at 6,000 rpm
Max. torque: 160 Nm at 4,250 rpm
Acceleration 0-100 km/h: 9.8 seconds
Max. speed: 201 km/h
Elasticity 80-120 km/h (4th/5th gear): 10,2 s / 12,7 s
Fuel consumption (urban)¹: 7.1 l/100 km
Fuel consumption (extra-urban)¹: 4.5 l/100 km
Fuel consumption (total)¹: 5.5 l/100 km
CO2 emission¹: 132 g/km
Unladen weight EU²: 1,220 kg
Permitted total weight: 1.645 kg
Luggage compartment volume (min.-max.): 260-930 litres
Fuel tank capacity (ca.): 40 litres
Transmission: 6-speed manual transmission
The MINI typed according to the ECE norm. The vehicle meets exhaust emissions norm EU4.
¹ Further information on official fuel consumption and official specific CO2 emissions of new cars can be found in the manual for fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
² This data refers to a vehicle with its fuel tank 90% full, a driver weighing 68 kg and 7 kg of luggage. The unladen weight apples to vehicles with standard fittings. Optional extras may increase this figure.
Standard fittings:
Brake energy recycling, DSC 3, Wheel bolt lock, Fog tail light
Special equipment:
- Austrian Pepper package
- Leather steering wheel
- Velour foot mats
- Height adjustable front passenger seat
- Storage package
- Flat luggage compartment floor, removable
- Fog lamps
- Air conditioning
- Onboard computer
- Lighting package
- 2 remote control keys
- White direction indicators
- Automatic start/stop function
- Chrome-Line interior
- Chrome-Line exterior
- Roof black, mirrors chrome
- Electric glass sunroof
- Roof liner anthracite
- Extended decor
- Interior surface black
- Rear couch-style seat, 2 seats
- Jack and wheel spanner
- Radio MINI Boost CD
Info on the eBay auction:
This unique MINI will be sold in an international auction on the Internet by eBay (www.ebay.at) from June 5 - 15 immediately after the Life Ball. The winning bidder will also receive two VIP tickets, including overnight accommodation, for the MINI Challenge Finale on 27 September 2008 at the Salzburgring race track. Life Ball organizer Gery Keszler will be on hand to make the presentation of the Life Ball MINI 2008. The costs of delivery are to be borne by the successful bidder.
The funds raised each year go towards the Life Ball. To date, the "Life Ball MINIs" - redesigned by fashion icons such as Missoni, Ferré or Versace, have raised a total of € 260,000.
Life Ball
The Life Ball is one of the biggest charity events in Europe in the fight against AIDS. Combining a show of solidarity and fundraising, it celebrates life with an opulent, open-hearted party which brings together people and personalities from the worlds of art, fashion, society, industry and the media. The Life Ball takes place every year in Vienna and since the first time it was held in 1993 it has become a spectacular top-class event with increasing international media resonance. Over 40 TV teams and a total of 500 media representatives from Austria and abroad report on this unique event every year. The organizer of the Life Ball is Aids Life. This charitable association founded in 1992 primarily aims to raise large sums of money to promote selected non-profit organisations which support HIV-positive individuals and AIDS sufferers, attempting to fight the spread of AIDS and its consequences. The total net profits of the Life Ball go towards this type of HIV/AIDS project.
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