Powerflex will present the Vini, an R56-generation Mini Cooper S fitted with a BMW M3 engine.
A suspension-mounting specialist will showcase a unique V8-powered Mini project at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Powerflex will demonstrate the Vini, a road-legal Mini build that gets 309kW from the naturally aspirated 4.0-litre ‘S65’ engine from the Mk5 BMW M3.
The Vini is based on BMW’s first (R53-generation) Mini Cooper S and features a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Its entire floorplan has been altered to sit on a modified Subaru Impreza STi subframe, mounted by Powerflex’s polyurethane bushes. The hubs are suspended from bespoke MacPherson struts.
“Vini the Powerflex V8 Mini is an iron hand in a velvet glove: an utterly usable and road-legal piece of engineering art that’s as comfortable on a track as it is on the road,” Powerflex said.
“With 414bhp (309kW) on offer within a short-wheelbase body that tips the scales at little more than 1300kg, Vini has the ability to stretch the confines of physics through its Toyo Proxes R888R track tyres.”
The car has been in the making for four years and is about to enter its track-testing phase. It won’t be taking on the festival’s famous hillclimb but will be showcased along with its engineering team.
Powerflex says the Vini “represents the combined forces of members of the Performance Automotive Aftermarket Association,” showcasing the skills, ingenuity and products that are available within the local tuning industry, as several teams were involved in its design and construction.
Jack Warrick