The Mini Cooper is a really fun, tossable car. The Cooper S is tuned to be faster and more responsive. And then there's the John Cooper Works Package, which continues even further down the path of engine and suspension modifications.
Now, for people who truly need to turn it up to eleven, we have the Mini John Cooper Works Challenge - which is even more extreme.
The new Mini Challenge, which will be shown for the first time this year at the Frankfurt Auto Show, is basically a heavily modified Cooper S. The engine alone gets enough updates to make your head spin - a modified air intake, filter, catalytic converter, exhaust, and computer, not to mention an upgraded twin-scroll turbocharger and redesigned pistons. All that work results in a not-so-Mini 211 horsepower, which propels the Challenge from 0 to 62 mph in just 6.1 seconds, and on to a top speed of 149 mph.
In order to reign all that power in, the Challenge was given a new braking system. The larger brakes can bring the car to a stop from 62 mph in just 3.1 seconds. In the unfortunate event that you need more time than that to slow down, you should be kept safe by a full roll cage welded to the body of the car.
Many suspension pieces are also tuned to improve handling, including fully adjustable dampers. In addition, the car has custom seventeen-inch Borbet wheels wrapped in an exclusive new racing tire from Dunlop.
The Challenge is dressed with parts from the John Cooper Works Aerodynamic Kit, which is available a la carte on lesser Minis. Don't think that the giant rear spoiler is just for looks, either - the wing is completely adjustable, allowing increased downforce at higher speeds.
When it goes on sale next spring, the Mini Challenge will cost almost 50,000 Euros - more than $67,500. If that puts a damper on your back-road-thrashing dreams, don't worry: the Challenge is designed strictly for racing and is not street legal anyway.