We are not, as a rule, admirers of black cars. So when this Countryman arrived in Midnight Black we did something about it though not with a paint gun. Diamond Green is a paint protection film that only works over black. It does not sit on the panel as a colour in its own right; it refracts light through the surface beneath it, and black is the only base dark enough to return the effect. Over anything lighter it does nothing. Over black it produces a deep metallic green with real depth and movement strikingly close to Forest Green Metallic, and shifting noticeably as the light changes. The advantage over paint is that it is not paint. Beneath the film the original Midnight Black is exactly as it left Oxford, protected from day one, and entirely reversible. Anyone who knows Countrymans will notice the rest: a full de-chrome, every bright element taken to black, including the charge port cover not something the factory would do at any price. It could not have been ordered this way. Inside, Satellite Grey Chester leather, cool and quiet against the green. Panoramic sliding sunroof, reversing camera and parking sensors, heated seats, sun protection glazing, MINI Connected XL with full-screen navigation, cruise control with braking function, MINI Excitement Package, and full-screen Apple CarPlay. The Countryman sells everywhere for good reason. Small enough to use in a town; large enough inside for four adults and luggage. High enough to see out of properly. Sensible on fuel, four-wheel drive when the weather turns, BMW architecture beneath it. The ALL4 system is cleverer than most realise. There is no propshaft the petrol engine drives the front wheels, the electric motor drives the rear axle independently. Four-wheel drive arrives instantly and electrically, and around town, on battery alone, the car is silent and rear-driven. This one has been ours, and looked after accordingly, with one previous owner from new before us. All four tyres were replaced last year with the correct Bridgestone Turanza the specified fitment rather than whatever was cheapest that week, which on a car with a driven rear axle matters more than most realise. Front discs and pads renewed at the same time, genuine MINI parts throughout. It will be fully serviced before it goes, so its next custodian starts from zero. A colour that cannot be ordered, on a car that can do nearly everything. Viewing By Appointment Part-Exchange & Finance Available