2022 Mini Countryman Boardwalk Edition – Past Park Place?

Jason R. Sakurai
by Jason R. Sakurai

Mini USA today proclaimed the pricing and availability of the 2022 Countryman Boardwalk Edition, a variant for those who don’t mind drawing attention to themselves with its unique, eye-catching coloration.

The exterior color is what is described as a deep Laguna metallic exterior color, with a contrasting black finish on the roof and mirror caps. There’s also the penchant these days, annoying though it may be, to call trim or accents piano black, as if the darkness of a Steinway is more so than the absence of light on a black police cruiser, for example. So be it, the Boardwalk Mini has plain black 18-inch pin spoke wheels, with piano black exterior trim.

Mini copywriters effused over the interior leather trim, calling it punch black. Just so you can keep track, there’s black or just black, piano black, and punch black, all supposedly different expressions of blackness on this same diminutive vehicle.

There are also door sill, roof, dashboard, and side scuttle Boardwalk Edition graphics, reminders of which car is yours in case you forget parked amongst other garden-variety Minis.

Production of the Boardwalk Edition started in March and should be available sometime in April, unless the lot of them were aboard the freighter stuck in the Suez Canal, or on one that needs to take a circuitous route around Africa, in which case it may take even longer.

As a Cooper S homologation, the Boardwalk Edition is priced at $39,215, destination and handling charges included, or as an ALL4 version, which will run another $2,000 more.

Options such as LED fog and headlights, keyless entry, power-folding mirrors, SiriusXM satellite radio, touchscreen navigation, heated front seats, and a Harman/Kardon premium sound system all conspire to drive the sales price skyrocketing, even before any of the 116 Mini dealers in the U.S. adds their markup. Ah, the allure of a ‘limited edition’.

[Images: Mini USA]

Jason R. Sakurai
Jason R. Sakurai

With a father who owned a dealership, I literally grew up in the business. After college, I worked for GM, Nissan and Mazda, writing articles for automotive enthusiast magazines as a side gig. I discovered you could make a living selling ad space at Four Wheeler magazine, before I moved on to selling TV for the National Hot Rod Association. After that, I started Roadhouse, a marketing, advertising and PR firm dedicated to the automotive, outdoor/apparel, and entertainment industries. Through the years, I continued writing, shooting, and editing. It keep things interesting.

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  • Craiger Craiger on Mar 28, 2021

    Americans have yet to find a noun which they're unable to verb.

  • EX35 EX35 on Mar 30, 2021

    Do Minis still fall apart by 60k? My neighbor had one that must have been the most unreliable heap I have ever known.

  • Lorenzo Yes, they can recover from the Ghosn-led corporate types who cheapened vehicles in the worst ways, including quality control. In the early to mid-1990s Nissan had efficient engines, and reliable drivetrains in well-assembled, fairly durable vehicles. They can do it again, but the Japanese government will have to help Nissan extricate itself from the "Alliance". It's too bad Japan didn't have a George Washington to warn about entangling alliances!
  • Slavuta Nissan + profitability = cheap crap
  • ToolGuy Why would they change the grille?
  • Oberkanone Nissan proved it can skillfully put new frosting on an old cake with Frontier and Z. Yet, Nissan dealers are so broken they are not good at selling the Frontier. Z production is so minimal I've yet to see one. Could Nissan boost sales? Sure. I've heard Nissan plans to regain share at the low end of the market. Kicks, Versa and lower priced trims of their mainstream SUV's. I just don't see dealerships being motivated to support this effort. Nissan is just about as exciting and compelling as a CVT.
  • ToolGuy Anyone who knows, is this the (preliminary) work of the Ford Skunk Works?
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