What's the news?

Personalisation is the name of the game when it comes to summing up MINI's phenomenal success since its 2001 launch; by allowing customers to spec their cars pretty much any way they want in terms of final detailing, it creates a potentially infinite number of options and the possibility of no two MINIs rolling off the Oxford line the same. It's a formula that has been copied by practically every other car that has entered the MINI's class since.

So while the third generation F56 MINI has only just been test-driven by the world's media, news quickly follows that four themed personalisation packs will be available for the hatchback from its spring launch.

Exterior

Should you feel that MINI didn't make the front end of the Cooper S needlessly busy enough in terms of design, some of these packs add options such as driving lamps, black headlight finishes and chrome bonnet intake vents to further assault your eyes. Please choose wisely, dear MINI buyer.

So, to the four main themes - Vivid Green and Speedwell Blue are more for the extroverts, while John Cooper Works Pro and Essential Black offer slightly more tasteful addenda. MINI describes Speedwell Blue as adding 'a touch of sporty flair and a sense of tradition, thanks to a reinterpretation of the red, white and blue of the Union Jack, combined with a warm brown tone'. For anyone who speaks English, it's essentially a lurid tartan. Vivid Green is fairly self-explanatory and aimed squarely at the younger buyer, or older buyers who have perhaps lost their minds.

We prefer the two chequered flag-based packs called JCW Pro and Essential Black, as they're a little more restrained. Aside from the roof and side graphics, indicator surrounds and mirror caps, there are some exclusive alloy wheel designs to pick from, including 18-inch forged aluminium cross-spoke rims and 17-inch light alloy items in a multi-spoke design, finished in either Bright Silver metallic or Liquid Black. The centre caps can be rendered in Chilli Red, Bright Orange, Apple Green or Bright Yellow for maximum contrast.

Interior

Whichever 'character pack' you pick adds floor mats (textile or rubber), door sill covers (plus optional illuminated versions), the interior mirror cap, sun protection elements, protective covers, luggage compartment items and even the key lanyards in whichever finish you've chosen. The Essential Black theme also has exclusive boot protection in the form of an anti-slip, waterproof mat and tray for the luggage compartment.

You can also add the MINI key cap, which features an integrated Near Field Communication (NFC) chip for wireless data exchange between the MINI's key and a smartphone. You can then sync certain functions so that as soon as you get into the car, features for MINI Connected Services are detected immediately.

It almost goes without saying (but we are saying it nonetheless) that all of the accessories and new character packs do not affect the manufacturer warranty, and they are sold and installed through MINI's network of dealers, sales subsidiaries and service partners.

Anything else?

While the four themes mentioned above are the main news, the rest of the Original MINI Accessories range - featuring things such as different door mirrors caps, sun covers, roof graphics and body stickers, among many other items - has been revised too. And among the pictures of the new accessories is a car cover that has a pair of sunglasses printed on it where it rests upon the windscreen, plus a mirror cap design called Big Bang, with the words 'Vroom Vroom!' etched onto them in a comic-book stylee. Good grief!