Table of contents for August/September 2021 in Performance MINI

WELCOME TO THE AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2021 ISSUE We start this issue with some breaking news; after 20 issues in the Editor’s chair, the time has come for me to hand over the reins for someone else to steer Performance MINI through its exciting next chapter. I’m immensely proud to have been in the hot seat during the transition from Modern MINI to Performance MINI. And, as last issue’s nostalgic features showed, I think it’s been a seamless progression, changing with the times but still right at the heart of all things MINI like it has been since the mag’s launch back in 2006. It’s no surprise the last 12 months or so have been particularly difficult for the magazine industry, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, and…

FEATURE MINI ONE ONE LOVE LOTTIE ROBINSON TOOK INSTA-INSPIRATION FOR HER LOVED ONE FROM SOCIAL MEDIA, AND IT’S SET TO BE A MINI INFLUENCER Words MARTYN COLLINS Photos MITCH BROWN Despite the R50’s almost classic status, prices for the first-generation BMW MINI have never been as affordable. But as they’re becoming increasingly cost-friendly, it’s becoming ever more important to tread carefully when buying – especially when it’s a first car. Lottie Robinson, owner of this particularly cool MINI you see on these pages, initially went to look at two Chili Red Ones in Bristol. She says, “Sadly, neither was right for me, and just before I was about to go home, this One turned up on Gumtree with no photo. I took my chances and went to look at it.…

TECH SURVIVAL GUIDE SURVIVAL GUIDE SECOND-GENERATION MINIS WE LOOK AT THE MOST COMMON PROBLEMS TO BLIGHT THE SECOND-GENERATION MODELS, AND HOW TO CURE AND PREVENT THEM… Words MARTYN COLLINS BMW’s relaunch of the MINI brand has to be the perfect example of how to replace a motoring icon. Yet, after five years and 1,000,000 R50 and R53 MINIs sold, 2006 was time for the second-generation range. What stayed the same was the MINI hatch’s mixture of retro-inspired looks, keen driving experience and wide selection of personalisation. But to address some of the criticisms of the first-generation MINI hatch, quality was improved with a bolder, all-new interior that was less likely to rattle. Even bigger changes took place under the MINI’s clamshell bonnet. A tie-up with Peugeot/Citroen (PSA) saw the Chrysler-supplied petrols…

MOTORSPORT TRACK GUIDE THRUXTON IT’S TIME TO HEAD TO THE FASTEST TRACK IN THE UK, AS ALEX GUIDES US AROUND THRUXTON CIRCUIT Words ALEX NEVILL Photos VARIOUS WWW.JAVELINTRACKDAYS.CO.UK Thruxton is renowned as the fastest circuit in the UK, and even in 130bhp Coopers in the MINI CHALLENGE we still had an average lap speed of 92mph. For low-powered cars like Cooper Trophy cars, the track produces some incredible slipstreaming battles, as almost all the circuit is flat-out. But for some of the more modified Cooper Ss out there, it’s a test of the driver’s nerve, as you try to carry as much speed as grip allows through daunting corners like Goodwood and Church. Either way, it’s incredibly fast and a little bit scary. #1- ALLARD The first corner is Allard,…

NEWS MINI WINS ‘MOST FUN CAR TO DRIVE’ AT THE 2021 AUTO TRADER NEW CAR AWARDS The MINI Hatch was recently deemed to be the ‘Most Fun Car to Drive’ by 148,000 UK car owners who took part in a comprehensive survey to understand the honest opinions of those who have bought, driven and lived with their new vehicles. They rated their cars across different criteria including reliability, performance, appearance and running costs, as well as detailing their overall satisfaction with the car and if they would recommend it to others. Erin Baker, Editorial Director of Auto Trader, said: “With their short wheelbase and nippy, cheeky character, it’s a deserved win.” NEW MINI CONVERTIBLE ANNOUNCED With electric vehicles at the heart of MINI’s future plans for motoring, the company recently…

DRIVEN 2021 JCW AND ELECTRIC COOPER SE DRIVEN 2021 MINI THE LATEST MINI MODELS HAVE RECENTLY RECEIVED A SECOND, MORE SIGNIFICANT FACELIFT, SO MARTYN HAS BEEN DRIVING BOTH THE NEW JCW AND LATEST ELECTRIC COOPER SE TO SEE HOW THEY STACK UP Words MARTYN COLLINS Photos MINI UK Following on from the 2018 LCI facelift that brought us new headlights, new colours, interior trim options and infotainment, plus the much talked-about distinctive Union Jack rear lights, the latest generation MINI has received a more significant makeover. This is mainly because the fourth-generation MINI won’t be ready until 2023 – no doubt delayed by the recent and significant impetus for switching to all-electric power in the very near future. Looking back at MINIs (and other BMW models) past, you’ll spot they all…

FEATURE R53 CHECKMATE CHECKMATE ROGER GRAY’S R53 MAY HAVE JUST ENDED THE GAME Words BEN BIRCH Photos JASON DODD Bright colours, 18in wheels, BTCC-inspired interiors, and more pops and bangs than you can shake an angry neighbour’s fist at. It’s not difficult to create a hardcore MINI that can stop people in their tracks for a few minutes – all you have to do is go big and loud. But on another level completely is the build that puts subtlety at the fore, where the owner has been OCD about layering clever and perfectly executed details that gradually reveal themselves to you the longer you look. This R53 may well be the best example of this approach we’ve seen. At the root of its unique appeal is the fact that…

IN THE SCENE CLUB DIRECTORY IN THE CLUB! LOOKING FOR A MINI CLUB IN YOUR AREA? TAKE A LOOK AT OUR DIRECTORY FOR ENTHUSIAST GROUPS NEAR YOU… NATIONAL MINI CLUBS BRITISH MINI CLUB www.britishminiclub.co.uk FULL ON MINI www.fullonminis.co.uk MINI COOPER REGISTER www.minicooper.org CLUBMAN ESTATE REGISTER www.clubmanestates.co.uk MINI TORQUE www.minitorque.com TOTAL MINI www.totalMINI.com GP OWNERS CLUB www.gpoc.co.uk 210CLUB FACEBOOK GROUP www.facebook.com/groups/210Club (Challenge210 Owners only) MINI MOVEMENT https://business.facebook.com/groups/MINI.Movement/?ref=gysj MINI COOPER OWNER/DRIVERS CLUB https://business.facebook.com/groups/504433849698049/?ref=gysj R53 OWNERS CLUB https://www.facebook.com/groups/154538898666141/ MINI Y-REGISTER www.miniyregister.co.uk 02 S REGISTER www.02sregister.co.uk MINIACS ONLY GROUP www.miniacsonlygroup.co.uk THE CLUB53 www.theclub53.com MINI BITZ - KILL ALL CHROME www.facebook.com/killallchromeminibitz BMW CAR CLUB GB www.bmwcarclubgb.uk MINI WHORES www.facebook.com/andy996sps JCW CLUBMAN UK REGISTER www.facebook.com/groups/1713021032320203 MODDEDMINI.COM www.facebook.com/groups/1727463463951925 SCOTLAND NEW MINI SCOTLAND www.newminiscotland.co.uk MINICLAN www.miniclan.com SCOTTISH MINIS www.scottishminis.com MINI MAYHEM SCOTLAND https://www.facebook.com/groups/200110513800064 IRELAND MINI CLUB OF IRELAND www.miniclub.ie…

TECH COILOVERS 10 MINUTE TECH COILOVERS WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR MODIFICATIONS YOU CAN MAKE TO A PERFORMANCE MINI; COILOVER SUSPENSION WHAT ARE COILOVERS AND WHAT DO THEY DO? A coilover is literally a spring-over-damper suspension unit. The name is a bit misleading though, as most OE suspension is typically coilover at the front anyway – often with separate spring and damper units on the rear. But in the performance modifying scene, the term ‘coilover’ is mostly used to refer to suspension, typically aftermarket (although some MINI models do have coilovers as standard), that allows for a minimum of ride height adjustment. Most kits also feature some form of damping adjustment too. ARE THEY ALL THE SAME? No. Different manufacturers offer a wide range of…

FEATURE TWIN MULGARI F56S HIS & HERS MULGARIS FRED AND SALLY DYER MET THROUGH THE MINI SCENE, BUT LITTLE DID THEY KNOW THEIR RELATIONSHIP WOULD LEAD THEM TO OWNING A BRACE OF MULGARI-TUNED F56 HATCHES Words MARTYN COLLINS Photos JASON DODD The latest, third-generation MINI John Cooper Works (JCW) GP is also the most potent, boasting 302bhp. Yet it’s not the first big-power current MINI hatch. That honour goes to UK tuning house Mulgari, which burst onto the scene in 2017 with the ICON02 – a fully-built hot hatch – and more recently with the Mulgari+ range of tuning products. On top of Mulgari+ Stage 1 and Stage 2 remaps (which take performance close to 300bhp) the ICON02 took things further. It’s a fully bespoke version of the JCW hatch,…

FEATURE R56 JCW GP2 THE DEFINITIVE DAILY USING A GP2 TO COMMUTE? DON’T FREAK OUT:ITS OWNER, BEN, MIGHT BE ONTO SOMETHING… Words BEN BIRCH Photos JASON DODD If 2020 and 2021 have proved anything, it’s that life is far too short and opportunities to enjoy its simple pleasures are far too few. And while many of us have grown miserable waiting for the right moment to take our cars out of the garage to a show or track day, Ben Little has shrugged off the lockdown blues by daily-driving his super-smart GP2. For some, the thought of clocking up miles in such a special-edition MINI would bring them out in a cold sweat, but for a chap of only 23, Ben is impressively pragmatic. “Yes, it’s a GP,” he says,…

MOTORSPORT MINI CHALLENGE MINI CHALLENGE UPDATE THE COOPER TROPHY IS UNDERWAY WITH ACTION PROVING TO BE AS FAST AND FRANTIC AS EVER AS THE MINI CHALLENGE VISITED SNETTERTON, THRUXTON, AND BRANDS HATCH Words and photos MINI CHALLENGE UK SNETTERTON RACE ONE Matt Hammond enjoyed the perfect start to his MINI CHALLENGE Trophy campaign with a lights-to-flag victory in an action-packed opening race of the season at Snetterton. The former series champion had earlier qualified his EXCELR8 Motorsport-run car on pole position and was able to make his advantage count in the opening race, which would be brought to a premature end as a result of a clash in the chasing pack. Aware of the need to break the tow from the cars behind if he wanted to convert pole into a…

COMING SOON IN INSIDE THE OCT-NOV 2021 ISSUE… THE UK'S ONLY MODERN MINI TUNING MAGAZINE ■ Coming up in the next issue of Performance MINI, check out Emily Baker’s wide-arch, fat-tyre, Bayswater beauty. One of just nine top-spec limited-edition models in the UK, Emily’s treated hers to plenty of performance upgrades from the JCW models to ensure this Cooper S has the bite to back up its new-found bark. Read the full story on how this car came to be in the next issue. ■ Look shifty! Race-style quickshift kits are a popular upgrade with MINI fans, and next issue we show you how to fit one of the superb new units from ZeroPointOne to the R53 Cooper S. ■ Following on from on our recent Survival Guide features, next…