When it comes to drag racing being as light as possible while putting huge amounts of power down is essential. This is why any car that weighs under 2,000 lbs can easily become an asset on the drag strip. Guess how much a 1965 MINI Cooper used to weigh? 1,477 lbs. That’s right, this thing was as light as it got back in the day. Now chip in a proper engine and what do you get? A proper rocket!
The best part about dragsters is that they don’t have to be road legal, opening up even more possibilities in terms of performance. The Mini we’re showing you today was fitted with a Honda K-Series engine that we’re guessing was turbocharged into oblivion, as the video doesn’t provide any additional details. By the looks of things, this thing makes a lot more than the 200 HP the original mills used to put down.
We don’t mind either, as this little beast became a thing to fear on the drag strip thanks to these improvements. The interior was stripped down, only a roll cage and a bucket seat being left in it, while the transmission was also changed so that the power is sent to the rear wheels, as it should. With a wheelie bar and some serious rubber this Mini became a 10-second car and it truly deserves our respect.
In the video below you can see it performing against various Civics and performing admirably. It does seem like a lot of work trying to keep in check though, as I’m pretty sure there are no electronic nannies on board to help out. Looks like a lot of fun though!
