The classical Mini style has fueled the inspiration of many a car designer throughout the years, yet some endeavor to improve upon it further. Here’s a fine example by Vancouver-based Spectre Vehicle Design.
The car gets redone from the ground up with turbine-shaped three-piece wheels resembling the 10-inch Minilites, but with a welcome addition of brake-cooling air vents. Four-piston calipers ensure proper deceleration in the car that weighs in at just 771 kg (1,770 lbs).
Inside, the main highlight is the shape of the seats, which the Canadian tuner claims mimics the silhouette of Monica Bellucci in a swimsuit. As for the overall inner space layout, it is supposed to resemble the classical Japanese mudroom.
It is the engine bay where things get truly interesting, however. The stock front-mounted engine is gone, and a mid-mounted Honda K20 four-banger takes its place there. No less than 230 PS (227 hp / 169 kW) gets through to the rear wheels.
Last but by no means least, Spectre Vehicle Design offers wide customization opportunities for the car, offering a personal meeting with the chief designer to everyone interested. What’s also pleasant to know, the company will attempt to source the Mini for the conversion in your home state, saving you the hassle with the re-registration.
As you must have guessed by this point, the treat does not come cheap. A total of ten such exotics will be produced and offered starting from U.S. $180,000.