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Filed under: Performance, Videos, Hatchback, Mini

Original Mini Cooper in green with white roof - video screencap

Electric Federal has taken a fresh look back at the enduring legacy of original Mini with a video interview with Heritage Garage’s Graham Reid, one of the foremost experts on classic Minis. As Electric Federal points out, it’s important to remember that the Mini did not start out as a performance car. It was built in response to the Suez Canal crisis of the mid-50s, which had a similar effect on British gas prices as OPEC did on American prices in the 1970s – rationing and rapid price jumps.

Through the years, Minis have grown from their budget roots to become seriously competent performance machines. As Reid says, a 150-horsepower Mini on the right track should have no problem outpacing a contemporary Porsche 911.

For some time now, classic Mini owners have been dropping Honda engines under the tiny hoods of their classics. With up to 250 horsepower pulling a car that tips the scales at barely 1,200 pounds, the upgraded Mini is “a real sleeper,” Reid says. Interestingly, Reid doesn’t mention another increasingly common swap in the Mini community – Suzuki Hayabusa-powered Coopers.

Modern Mini owners, you haven’t been entirely left out – we’re glad to see that Reid isn’t a Mini enthusiast that discounts the newer models launched under BMW. In the video, a Chili Red R53 Cooper S sits right alongside a classic model in a similar color. Check out all the fun in the video below.

Continue reading Honda engines and giant killing in the classic Mini Cooper

Honda engines and giant killing in the classic Mini Cooper originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Jul 2013 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Sedan, Performance, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz, Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, Middle East, Luxury, Koenigsegg

Ferrari badge

When we were 21, we were happy to ditch the fake ID and score cheaper insurance rates. Life’s a little different for Dhiaa Al-Essa, a 21-year-old Saudi who owns a fleet of exotics that’d turn the average enthusiast’s knees into Jell-O.

His 30-car (not a typo) garage includes enough Italians, Brits and Germans to re-enact World War II. His current stable includes four Ferraris, five Porsches, three Lamborghinis, two Rolls-Royces and a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, which he counts as his personal favorite. To wring maximum enjoyment out of his exotic empire, Al-Essa spent this summer flying his fleet around the globe so that he and his friends could create their own driving tours in cities such as London, Montreal, Las Vegas and New York.

How is a young man like Mr. Al-Essa able to afford such amazing machinery? Well, he can’t. His father just happens to be a billionaire who enjoys spending money on cost-is-no-object basis for his son. To prove this point, Dihaa’s father is planning on providing him with the keys to two more otherworldly vehicles. On his 22nd birthday, Dihaa will become the proud owner of a Koenigsegg Agera, which comes with a golden key. It’s like the Willy Wonka of supercars. After the Agera, a Bugatti Veyron will join the family. The price for both cars? Around one Corvette Z06 under $5 million dollars.

Sadly, Al-Essa’s new Ferrari 458 Italia was recently lost to fire while housed at Heathrow Airport. Is he crying about it? Nope. He reportedly plans to replace it with one of the Ferrari 599 Roadster models rumored to have been shown at Pebble Beach last month. Thanks for the tip, dood!

Image Copyright (C) 2008 Alex Núñez / AOL
[Source: Metro.co.uk]

21-year-old with giant supercar collection makes us jealous originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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