MINI Takes the States is the brand’s biennial road rally where thousands of MINI owners converge and drive across the country together with the brand itself. It’s a great event for owners to take part it and really shows off how great the MINI community is. We had the chance to tag along a couple of years ago and we’re going to be there this year as well. MTTS kicks off on July 14, with the final gathering of it on July 20 – 22. Those last days of the event, on the Western leg of the trip in Colorado, are when MINI will show off its new John Cooper Works International Orange Edition car.

Basically, the MINI JCW International Orange Edition is just a limited edition JCW Hartop with an exclusive color and some cool features. “International Orange is a bold color historically used to make great feats of engineering and aerospace design stand out.” said Randy Clements, Department Head, Product Planning & Aftersales, MINI USA. “In the same way, this exclusive color makes a dramatic statement to the performance of this special MINI John Cooper Works model – one that is sure to stand out among the crowd at MINI TAKES THE STATES!”

On the outside, the MINI JCW International Orange Edition will feature the aforementioned color, as well as a suite of other unique design elements, such as the Edition-exclusive high-gloss midnight black rear spoiler. It will also get a JCW Pro Exhaust with a Bluetooth-controlled flap, so it should sound as loud as it looks.

Inside, it will come quite loaded, with the Touchscreen Navigation Package, MINI Storage Package, Harman Kardon Sound System, a panoramic sunroof, heated seats and a Head-Up Display. Then again, it better come loaded, as it wears a sticker price of $39,900, which is quite expensive for a MINI.

Ironically, I personally will be in Colorado on the last days of the trip, something we had planned far before knowing that this special edition MINI would be there. So it’s a happy coincidence and we’ll have a ton of pictures and videos of both the event and the new MINI JCW International Orange Edition.