Are you a heavy power kind of gearhead, or can you appreciate what is the automotive equivalent of a go-kart on steroids with a license plate on the back tearing around with a manic powerplant in the tail end? That’s exactly what you are looking at here: it’s a 1983 Mini, powered by a mill raided from Suzuki’s wicked Hayabusa street bike. With 1,000 pounds to push around, 240 horsepower quits sounding like the base model and starts to sound like nothing short of a riot, doesn’t it? Sure, you’ll have to fold to fit, and Day-Glo green ain’t for everybody, but if you can’t find a way to enjoy this screaming little rocket, you aren’t trying hard enough. I might injure myself in the process, but I would do my best to fit behind the wheel to give this little meanie a shot!
I’m still trying to grow the stones to VTec swap my 76′. I spent so much cash rebuilding the A-Series.
One of my fondest memeories from our early years drag racing was going to McGuire AFB in NJ, and watching a Mini Cooper just spank a ’63 fi Corvette Stingray, heads up, 1/4 mile! The Mini didn’t need no ‘Busa motor to do that!
Just the kind of little street freak Crusty loves to see, and in this case hear.
I’d love to take that for a little rip down a nice twisty back road someplace, looks like it would be a blast.
The mini wears a British number plate – so how come its LHD?
I prefer Minis with the engine where its supposed to be and not polluted with rice. In Britain there are kits available to mount the 16 valve cylinder head of a BMW K series motorcycle motor on to an A series block. I saw a Mini station wagon with one of these in it plus throttle bodies and a turbo which would have given this a run for its money.