Table of contents for Autumn 2022 in Performance MINI

I begin my introduction with some sad news because you hold in your hands the very last issue of Performance MINI. While the magazine has only been around since 2018, it’s continued the legacy of Modern MINI, which served the modern modded MINI community for 92 issues before being transformed into Performance MINI. I want to start by saying thanks to Jamie King for being at the helm of PMINI from the very beginning all the way up to issue 20, and Martyn Collins as the last editor of Modern MINI before its relaunch as Performance MINI. I’ve only been the editor of this magazine for seven issues, but I’ve greatly enjoyed my time as its custodian. Getting stuck into the world of MINI has been a lot of fun,…

If your whole family drives MINIs and your business is buying and selling them all day long, it takes a pretty special car to make a lasting impression and reserve a permanent place on the driveway. Brett Michael has bought, fixed, modified and sold enough R53s to fill a multi-storey car park but this Liquid yellow example is his pride and joy, his keeper. So we thought it was worth taking a closer look at the ins and outs of the build and why it’s so special to him. “Being honest, I only bought it to sell on for a profit,” Brett explains, “I found it on Facebook marketplace, and the plan was to buy it cheap, fix it up and sell it on”. The car had started out in…

We suppose you could say that Dan Newman has a personal interest in MINI because, on top of admitting that he’s liked them all of his life, Dan also works for MINI – along with his dad! Just because he likes MINI, it doesn’t mean Dan’s not owned other cars. He started his motoring life with a lowly Renault Clio 1.2, but since then has owned more serious machinery, including a lairy 2007 Ford Focus ST2, which was tuned to 310hp and had a Milltek exhaust. Other modified picks included an Audi A3 with a Forge induction kit and a custom-made exhaust, and a Seat Leon Cupra 1.8T. There was also a MINI, his first, an R56 Cooper S, which Dan tells us was wrapped in matt green (giving it…

Drop us an email with some hi-res photos, a mods list and a bit of a story about you and your MINI, and it might appear on the Performance MINI Facebook page on Feature Friday when we put one of your MINIs in the spotlight! IN THE SPOTLIGHT PETER BRIGGS F56 COOPER S Peter’s F56 might not be as heavily modded as some of the other cars we see on these pages, but we love the story behind it, and his lifelong passion for Minis. “My first car in 1977 was a Mini Van, followed by two 1275 GTs through the ‘80s. The second of these, pictured here in 1985, was black with a gold Mini 1275 GT stripe. I made lots of modifications (thanks Mini Sport, still going strong!),…

Is there such a thing as too much power? You could argue there’s a point where a car becomes so powerful that it becomes difficult to put all that power down and actually enjoy the driving experience. You could argue that you don’t need more than a certain amount of power and that there’s an optimum amount that’s perfect for any given car, road and situation. You could argue that the figure becomes a bit meaningless after a certain point, and beyond that level, you just start chasing numbers. You could argue all of that… But, at the same time, having a lot of power is a lot of fun, and the more you’ve got, the more impressive it is, and the more exciting it is, and that makes Nikos…

When it comes to modding, there are levels to this hobby. But even at the very top end of the modding scale, where you’ve got the big-power builds, the wide-arch cars, you’ve got those people who take things further still, who go beyond and take their cars to the next level, people like Richard Everitt and his roof-chopped R53. Going wide-body on your MINI takes commitment, but going for a roof chop? That’s something else and it’s just the tip of this incredible iceberg of a build. Before we even start getting under the skin of this R53, it feels like we need to learn a bit more about Richard to understand what kind of person takes on a project on this scale. “When I was a child, we always…

NATIONAL MINI CLUBS BRITISH MINI CLUBwww.britishminiclub.co.uk FULL ON MINIwww.fullonminis.co.uk MINI COOPER REGISTERwww.minicooper.org CLUBMAN ESTATE REGISTERwww.clubmanestates.co.uk MINI TORQUEwww.minitorque.com TOTAL MINIwww.totalMINI.com GP OWNERS CLUBwww.gpoc.co.uk 210CLUB FACEBOOK GROUPwww.facebook.com/groups/210Club (Challenge210 Owners only) MINI MOVEMENTwww.facebook.com/groups/MINI.Movement MINI COOPER OWNER/DRIVERS CLUBwww.facebook.com/groups/504433849698049 R53 OWNERS CLUBwww.facebook.com/groups/154538898666141 MINI Y-REGISTERwww.miniyregister.co.uk 02 S REGISTERwww.02sregister.co.uk MINIACS ONLY GROUPwww.miniacsonlygroup.co.uk THE CLUB53www.theclub53.com MINI BITZ – KILL ALL CHROMEwww.facebook.com/killallchromeminibitz BMW CAR CLUB GBwww.bmwcarclubgb.uk MINI WHORESwww.facebook.com/andy996sps JCW CLUBMAN UK REGISTERwww.facebook.com/groups/1713021032320203 MODDEDMINI.COMwww.facebook.com/groups/1727463463951925 BMWMOGwww.facebook.com/groups/997488570719427 SCOTLAND NEW MINI SCOTLANDwww.newminiscotland.co.uk MINICLANwww.miniclan.com SCOTTISH MINISwww.scottishminis.com MINI MAYHEM SCOTLANDwww.facebook.com/groups/200110513800064 IRELAND MINI CLUB OF IRELANDwww.miniclub.ie MINIS IN NORTHERN IRELANDwww.minisinnorthernireland.co.uk NI MINISwww.ni-minis.co.uk NIMM (NORTHERN IRISH MINI MEETS & RUNS)Facebook.com/groups/NIMMR/mediaFacebook.com/niminimeets@ni_mmr WALES CARDIFF MINI CLUBwww.cardiffminiclub.co.uk SNOWDON MINISwww.facebook.com/SnowdonMinis NORTH WALES/WEST MINI OWNERS GROUPwww.northwaleswestminiownersgroup.weebly.com NORTHERN ENGLAND LEYLAND & DISTRICT MINI CLUBwww.leylandminiclub.com NORTH EAST MINI CLUBwww.neminiclub.com OLDHAM & DISTRICT MINI CLUBwww.oldhamminiclub.org.uk TYNEMOUTH MINI CLUBwww.tynemouthminiclub.co.uk MERSEY MINI CLUBwww.merseyminiclub.co.uk FULL ON MINISwww.fullonminis.co.uk WIRRAL…

Ambition is critical. Anyone who’s watched Twin Town will tell you that (they might even chuck in a bonus expletive for kicks), and of course, it’s a phrase that’ll be familiar to residents of Swansea and/or fans of the poet David Hughes. The crux of the matter is that a yearning for bigger, better, newer and more interesting things is what pushes mankind forward, and that’s particularly evident across the car modifying scene. After all, how many people do you know who’ll carry out a few mods, say ‘Yep, that’s finished’ and then keep the car like that forever? No, project cars are never finished, there’s always a fresh set of wheels or a higher echelon of power or what-have-you to strive for. And Sam Jones is a keen example…

TRAX SILVERSTONE 2022 The awesome TRAX Silverstone show is back for 2022, and there’s still time to buy tickets! The date for your diary is Sunday 11 September, and it’s shaping up to be another absolutely awesome event packed full of nothing but the best modified and high-performance machinery from across the UK, with a Performance MINI display featuring some of our most stunning feature cars. Expect huge displays showcasing stunning modified cars from across the country, with something for everyone, a massive Retail Village packed with car-related parts, accessories, clothing and much more. On top of that, there will be fast-paced on-track action, public track time, plus special display paddock parking that ensures your MINI will get plenty of attention in a prime spot. This show is not to…

For hot hatch enthusiasts, there was much to like about the ‘New’ R50 MINI Cooper, which was launched alongside the One, back in July 2001. Highlights were the sharp steering and playful chassis, but with just 120hp, this MINI offered ‘warm’ rather than ‘hot’ performance. However, a faster version was always on the cards, and, sure enough, the performance headliner with one of the most iconic Classic Mini performance badges on the boot, Cooper S, was launched in July 2002. Outside, BMW deliberately didn’t change Frank Stephenson’s attractive, 2000s redesign. The big giveaways were the letterbox vent on the bonnet, feeding air directly to the intercooler, and the Classic Mini-style centre twin exhaust, with its two smaller Coke-can finishers. The only other style changes were the chunkier, more aggressive bumpers…

I took over YMO four years ago, and we only had around 300 members. We have now reached just over 1200 members, which I think is pretty good considering we are just a regional group. We hold meets every month, normally on the last Sunday of the month. This is just meeting up, having breakfast and coffee, and getting inspiration and sharing ideas on how to spend more money on our MINIs! These meets normally attract between 3050 cars depending on the weather, and we’re always growing! We also attend local events such as Sportscars in the Park, which was amazing this year at their spring event! We would like to expand our events, and take YMO on tour! CONTACT Yorkshire MINI Owners on Facebook @yorkshireminowners_ymo…

The JCW National Day 2022 was held at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon on 24 July, and the success of the inaugural event in 2021, with VIP Frank Stephenson, the automotive designing legend of MINI in attendance, was a hard act to follow. 2022’s event would need to be on point to equal if not better it, and we believe we pulled it off. Attendee numbers had more than doubled to over 500 cars, and the diverse selection of JCW and other MINI models was a visual pleasure. A convoy headed up from the south, giving many motorists something to point and smile at on their journeys. Thomas and Jetta Peterson drove from Denmark, while others came from Ireland, Scotland, Cornwall and the Channel islands too. Minis and MINIs…

After April’s last visit to Bicester Scramble in my Cooper, with my kids already off on a Cub Camp and the okay from Mrs Collins, I was quick to book up for the next Scramble on Father’s Day on 19 June. After speaking with contributor Neil Barden and seeing his GP in a display area inside the event, Neil told me to sign up to Scramblers, Bicester Heritage’s own owners’ club. I just mentioned that I was planning to bring my GP and thought nothing more of it until I received a sticker pass, which I was pretty chuffed about, and it would be a great first run for my fast MINI of 2022. I didn’t really think any more about this event until the Saturday before going on the…