Mini Magazine May 2022

There’s a lot of big talk in racing paddocks. Psychology plays a part in track-based success, and being able to psych out your rivals with horsepower propaganda can give you the edge when the flag drops. But when it comes to chasing after the hallowed title of ‘Fastest Mini in the World’, there’s no need for embellishment or exaggeration – check out the bonkers one-off racer on p.10 and you’ll see that this is a hardcore machine that speaks for itself. 380bhp, 610kg, eye-watering performance – plus it’s still front-wheel-drive, so it’s a proper handful! Speaking of proper handfuls, this month’s cover car is an exercise in taking tuning to extremes. Built in France with a Japanese engine, then shipped out to Las Vegas, this supercharged and rear-engined monster is a…

“Hey James, got a car for you to cover…” With such an innocuous opening, our esteemed editor sent me to see one of the most bonkers modified Minis I think I’ll ever see. The headline figures say it all: 380bhp from a naturally aspirated V8 with a slender 610kg kerb weight. Just let that sink in for a moment: 380bhp. In a Mini. That’s still front-wheel-drive. As I said, bonkers. But also quite brilliant. To understand just how brilliant, we need to rewind a bit and talk about the fine chap who’s built this mechanical monster, one Harvey Death (pronounced ‘Deeth’, before you say anything). Harvey is a modest, fairly unassuming gent. When I first met him, I struggled to put the idea of a V8 Mini together with the polite,…

To mark the 60th anniversary of the Mini Cooper, Charlie Cooper – grandson of John Cooper CBE – has donated an exclusive limited-edition MINI John Cooper Works to help raise funds for children impacted by the pandemic. Production of this model was limited to just 740 units, making it a very sought-after edition; the quantity is in homage to the number – 74 – adorning the first ever Mini Cooper race car that drove to victory at Snetterton with John Love behind the wheel. In addition to the various model-specific upgrades, this car is particularly special as there are three generations of Cooper family signatures on the dashboard. It’s a brand-new MINI that’s only recently rolled off the production line; original retail value of the car was £35,500, and it still…

◼ Kit cars and Minis have gone hand-in-hand from the start, and there are few kit car designers with such a prolific spread of creativity across their CV than Richard Oakes. From the 1970s to the present day, his design genius can be found in projects as diverse as the Midas Gold, the Dutton Sierra, the Nova (the sports car with the bonkers canopy, rather than the Vauxhall) and a personal favourite of ours, the Domino Pimlico – a fibreglass Mini beach car with no doors. The history and legacy of this linchpin of automotive pioneering has now been comprehensively chronicled in a book, entitled ‘Richard Oakes: Master of Design’, which is available from Anderson & Clark Publishing (for £30 plus P&P – andersonandclarkpublishing@gmail.com). Author Douglas Anderson was granted full access…

◼ The classic car world’s two major umbrella organisations, the FHBVC and the HCVA, have both announced ambitious carbon offsetting schemes aimed at drivers of historic vehicles. The FBHVC scheme is operated in conjunction with Tree-V, and involves planting trees in order to capture the amount of carbon being offset. As plants absorb CO2 during photosynthesis, so planting forests is a means of directly absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The Tree-V platform allows users to calculate the amount of carbon produced according to a car’s economy and miles travelled, which is converted into a cost figure, with FBHVC member clubs able to offset carbon footprints for individuals or events. Meanwhile, the HVCA scheme operates in conjunction with NET-HERO, entitled ‘Instant Offset’. This also uses an online calculator, with costs channelled towards…

◼ There’s a new gig at Caffeine & Machine, and it sounds like something that should strongly appeal to the Mini owner’s clubs, forums, Facebook groups and suchlike out there. It’s called Club Culture, and it’ll be happening on the Monday and Tuesday evening slots between 5-10pm. The concept offers up 80 premier parking spots, a dedicated private booking link, and a personal booking contact to organise and accommodate club needs; tickets are £10 each, and as part of the booking, each member receives a 50% concession per car redeemable against food and drink. For those readers who haven’t made the trek to Caffeine & Machine, here’s the story in a nutshell: sitting just outside Ettington, Warwickshire, the venue offers something unique in the field of our favourite activity (i.e. standing…