For Simon’s Eyes Only: Simon Cowell’s one-off classic Mini is designed to look like the iconic Lotus Esprit Turbo used by Roger Moore in the 1981 Bond film

Simon Cowell has taken delivery of the special classic-shape Mini Remastered

It was built by UK firm David Brown Automotive which specialises in these cars

Design has been modelled on the Lotus Esprit Turbo from For Your Eyes Only

Paint scheme and interior style has been copied - though there’s no ski rack

The maker wouldn’t disclose the vehicle price, likely to be between £90k-£100k

Simon Cowell appears to have channeled his inner James Bond with his latest car.

His new motor is a classic-style Mini that’s been built to replicate the Lotus Esprit Turbo driven by Sir Roger Moore in the 1981 007 film, For Your Eyes Only.

It’s no standard Mini, either. Built by British firm David Brown Automotive, its remastered range of the iconic British car cost in the region of £100,000 a piece. The motor is a one-off built to the specification requested by the music mogul and TV personality.

And his commission seems to have been to create a dinky version of the Bond-film classic sports car.

To replicate the look of the Lotus that appears in the movie, the Silverstone-based brand has painted the Mini in the same ‘copper flow’ and ‘sahara gold’ scheme, complete with a like-for-like livery of hand-painted stripes and ‘turbo’ emblems from the Esprit - despite the fact there’s definitely no turbochargers under the bonnet on this car.

While it doesn’t have the ski rack the film car is famed for, the bespoke 13-inch spoked alloys have been made especially to replicate the BBS wheels fitted to the Lotus. Cowell’s new ride also gets a panoramic sunroof so he can keep his tan topped up. 

Like the ‘standard’ David Brown Mini Monte Carlos costing £99,000, the roof and wheel arches are painted in contrasting black.

This one-of-a-kind car has also has a copycat interior, with the cabin featuring ‘arctic white’ leather upholstery like Moore’s Lotus had.

It also gets a bounty of old-school wood panelling, with the steering wheel to the dashboard finished in dark American walnut.

There are plenty of mod-cons you wouldn’t usually see in this era of Mini.

Additions include special illuminated dials made by Smiths, a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system and smartphone compatibility.

And there’s also a six-speaker sound system, just in case Mr Cowell wants to listen to some X Factor hopefuls while he’s on the move.

Under the bonnet is the same naturally aspirated A-Series engine from the original Mini, though upgraded to 1330cc by David Brown Automotive.

Maximum power is 83bhp, with drive sent to the front wheels by route of a five-speed manual gearbox. 

The car builder wouldn’t reveal to This is Money the price of the commission, though other examples you can buy today cost from £75,000 for the entry-spec Mini Remastered. 

However, this car is based on the £99,000 Monte Carlo special edition, and there is also a £108,000 stripped-out, two-seat, Oselli Edition.