Occasionally, LEGO is really good at keeping a secret (as was the case with the LEGO Star Wars MTT that turned up shockingly last week). But most of the time–most of the time–LEGO just can’t keep a secret. Rumors have been swirling about through winter and into spring regarding a new 2014 LEGO MINI Cooper set, so when yet another mysterious VIP Early Access set was announced via the LEGO Store July 2014 calendar, it didn’t take a precognitive to foretell what that set might be. But as it turns out, we didn’t have to guess for long anyway–the LEGO MINI Cooper 10242 set has now been fully revealed!

UPDATE: The LEGO Mini Cooper 10242 set is now available for order online! And yes, you get the free LEGO Mini Mini Cooper polybag with it!

I’m not a ‘cars’ kind of guy. I didn’t get my driver’s license until I was 22 (and that was under extreme duress), I don’t know the first thing about engines or horsepowers or oil or any of that junk, and I only have a vague knowledge of the different types of cars are out there from seeing them on the road.

So when LEGO announced a new LEGO Creator Mini Cooper set and I knew what that car was? Yeah, I was pretty excited.

And man, not only is this the gosh darn cutest LEGO car I can ever remember, but with the LEGO Mini Cooper 10242 you can do just about everything that a real car can do (except, you know–drive it).

Want to remove the convertible top of the MINI Cooper? Not a problem! (After all, that’s sort of the point of a convertible if you can’t put the top down?)

Pop open the hood to take a look at the engine? Yes, you can do that too.

Open the trunk? Check.

Scope out the license plate and open the driver’s side door? Check.

Fold up the front seat for easy access to the back…? CHECK!

And even the interior of the LEGO 10242 Mini Cooper has been detailed beautifully with a checkboard pattern on the seats and the steering wheel on the proper European right-hand side of the vehicle. Looks like this car drives stick, too–which is a pity, because that means I’m not competent to drive it (oh well!).

My favorite feature of this set isn’t even the LEGO Mini Cooper itself–it’s the LEGO picnic that’s included with the set! With a soft goods fabric picnic blanket and a brick-built picnic basket and water bottle, this little accessory kit is just darling. Love it!

The best part is that the LEGO 10242 MINI Cooper will retail for just $99.99 and include 1077 pieces. Considering that LEGO had to pay for the MINI Cooper license and they’re still giving us the set at just over 9 cents per brick, that’s quite a deal!

The 10242 LEGO Creator MINI Cooper set is now available exclusively through the online LEGO Store and the LEGO Stores in July/August 2014. (Make sure you log into your LEGO VIP account on the site so that you can see the MINI Cooper!) The set will be available July 18th-30th for LEGO VIPs (which all of us reading this should be, what with is being a free perks card and all), and then for the general public from August 1st and onward. If it’s like other famous LEGO Creator car sets, the MINI Cooper LEGO set should have a long and successful run in the LEGO Stores.

What do you think of the now-revealed LEGO 10242 MINI Cooper set, LEGO fans? Is this cute-yet-sophisticated car one that you’re going to want to add to your collection?