Performance MINI

Have you ventured out into the world yet? Have you had your first show or meet of the year? I have – it’s been a while, and the 5am alarm on a Sunday is never something I’m going to get used to, but at least the empty roads are a joy at that time of day, so that helps. And, honestly, for people who love cars, there are few things better than getting to spend a whole day surrounded by them and chatting with fellow enthusiasts or catching up with scene friends. You never know what you’ll see, and you’re always guaranteed to find something awesome that you’ve not come across before. It really doesn’t get much better than that – bring on the show season! Now, I don’t know…

Like so many modern MINI owners, Devon Hosken’s love for his current MINI was shaped by years of dreaming and pawing over classic Mini and new MINI pictures. “I really enjoyed looking at classic Minis and modern MINIs, which were modified and unique. They are both so special to me as they are awesome B road cars and are massive head-turners, ” he says with a smile. So no surprise, then, that plans were hatched, and when Devon passed his test, his first car was a MINI. “It was an Indi blue R50 Cooper. On top of the fact it was a MINI, the reason why I bought that model was I liked the shape of them and at the time, considering my age, that was the only MINI I…

THE BIG MINI SHOW After the success of last year’s JCW National Day, the event has now expanded and joined forces with the British Motor Museum to create an all modern-MINI event. Last year’s event was aimed at JCW owners specifically, but it proved so popular, and the museum loved the format that the event is now running under the title of The Big MINI Show, with the JCW National Day as its star attraction. Triple the number of visitors are expected at this year’s event, and sponsors include AReeve, KillAllChrome, Chameleon LED, Adrian Flux, Scalextric and Corbeau. All modern MINIs are welcome, whether standard or modded, and, in addition to the huge number of cars on display, there will be loads more to keep visitors entertained. In addition to…

VIBE SLICKC10A-V0 UNDERSEAT SUBWOOFER £150 The all-new SLICKC10A-V0 is Vibe’s largest-diameter shallow subwoofer ever. Loaded with a 10” subwoofer and an installation depth of just 75mm, this incredible and compact enclosure will easily add bass to any MINI, no matter what space you have. And it produces an enviable amount of low-frequency bass for taking up so little space. The unit has been designed and created to be easy to install, easy to set up and require minimal power compared to bigger enclosures and subwoofers. The built-in amplifier provides that extra kick lacking with most under-seat enclosures, and the external remote allows you to easily adjust the bass when you need to. www.vibeaudio.co.uk AUTO FINESSE OBLITARATE GEL TAR AND GLUE REMOVER From £13.95 Designed for use in the pre-polish decontamination…

Every MINI has a role to play, each one has a purpose and each one has its own army of dedicated fans. Take the Clubman, for example, and the quirky R55 in particular. Longer, with more rear legroom, a bigger boot and that funky rear passenger door, it was a modern take on the classic Mini estate (once called the Traveller, or funnily enough, the Countryman), one that offered greater practicality for those who didn’t want to ditch MINI but needed a little more room. It was this added family-friendly appeal that drew William Tisnes to his rather special R55 for exactly those reasons. It’s fair to say that his R55 is rather less friendly and rather more ferocious these days, though, but it hasn’t lost any of its added…

It might not look it, but the second-generation R56 hatch is 60mm longer, thanks to reshaped rear styling. This meant an extra 10-litres of boot space, although on first look you’d be hard-pressed to notice any difference over the first-generation R50 and R53 versions. While you could buy a second-generation MINI hatch for the fun drive and handling, you wouldn’t for the boot space, as it was still tight. So, any added practicality to the MINI’s combination of retro looks and keen drive would open up the MINI brand to more buyers. That MINI model arrived in November 2007, roughly a year after the R56 hatch was launched, reviving the Clubman name last seen on the classic Mini estate that was discontinued 25 years before. Based on the R56 hatch,…