Live in a Downtown L.A. Loft, Drive a Mini, be Cool.

Mini has made an art out of ways to advertise its product in funky, hip, and sometimes baffling fashion, adding to the already bright halo of cool that surrounds the brand. Now a real estate developer in Los Angeles is trying to capitalize on the Mini image as a means of driving up interest in a new loft community.

(Click on the jump to read more about the Mini/loft connection or on the thumbnails below for a gratuitous Mini Clubman gallery.)

Downtown L.A.’s Santee Village is kicking off a promotion that offers loft buyers a complementary three-year lease on a Mini Cooper. Saying that the Mini represents the best vehicle for downtown living, developer Mark Weinstein of Santee Village calls the choice, “a sexy little car that offers international styling, great gas mileage, easy parking, multiple safety features and a fun driving experience.”

Santee Village is a collection of seven historical buildings in downtown L.A. that are some of the hottest-selling loft spaces in the city. With elements like concrete floors and industrial-style cabinets, the lofts would look to be a nice fit for the youthful, fresh image that Mini associates with.

The Mini promotion runs from December 1st through February 3rd though spots in the trendy Village, especially with the promise of a free car, should be filling up fast.

+ Yahoo Finance: Mini Cooper Promotion to Drive Traffic to Downtown LA’s Santee Village