By Scott Araujo
As an owner of a classic English motorcycle powered by a modern engine I can appreciate the marriage of old and new. Give me the roadgoing romance from back in the day without the mechanical hassles of what it was really like back in the day. Well, I'm not alone. It seems a few southern boys feel the same way.
Mini Tec in Royston, GA has created some great little bits to tack on to your classic Mini Cooper. Rear suspension not up to par? How about a bolt in rear coil over subframe? Reliability and anemic power got you down? How about a kit to bolt in a fresh Honda VTEC B, D, or K series engine? Having trouble getting all that reliable power to the ground? How about a kit to bolt in a complete Honda CR-V drivetrain with AWD?
I have to say I'm impressed. They offer bare kits, extended front clips so you can fit some of the larger alternatives in there and still look stock, and full kits including the engine, drivetrain, and all the little bits to tie it all together. All this gearhead talk got you hot and bothered? You can get A/C too.
Their info page says it all: UP TO 45MPG! 0-60MPH in less than four seconds! I'm betting that's an either or choice but neither option is bad.
What? Don't like classic Minis and you want a more modern high tech performance option? They're working on a 270hp mid-engined VTEC powered Insight, the aptly named Frank-Insight.
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