Hell Hath No Fury Like This Rover Mini With A Supercharged Civic Type R Engine

Drive any classic Mini in anger and you really feel like you're earning your next meal, so just imagine what driving one with a mid-mounted 350bhp supercharged 2.0-litre Honda engine must be like. We think 'memorable'
Hell Hath No Fury Like This Rover Mini With A Supercharged Civic Type R Engine

The original Mini was not a refined thing to drive. It was loud, bouncy, jiggly and generally damn uncomfortable. So, of course, it makes perfect sense to stuff a supercharged Honda Civic Type R engine into one.

We found this engine-swapped build on eBay UK, and it looks like a real animal. The wide, aggressive track includes wheel arches and subframes by Z Cars as part of the company’s wholesale kit conversion. Drive now goes to the rear wheels, and there’s quite a lot of it. The seller claims 350bhp, which is starting to tickle the limits for various major engine components, but it should be fine if it’s looked after.

All things considered, it’s basically an Ariel Atom with a roof. Sort of.

The engine is in the back where there’s more room following the removal of the rear seats; hence shifting the drive to the rear axle. It’s worth noting that the supercharger kit has charge to spare, if you’re willing to chuck some extra money at the pistons, head and cooling, among other things, for extra power.

We’re having trouble imagining a more violent, visceral four-wheeled attack on the human senses, apart from turning a corner and unexpectedly coming face to face with a Pontiac Aztek.

The advert for the car, which is currently for sale at an eye-watering £22,500, says the brakes have been upgraded, the engine has just been serviced and fitted with a new cam chain, and it’s even been given a Quaife limited-slip differential.

The seller, a man called Jim Morris, says he has spent a lot of time making the car as drivable as possible, and as a cheeky bonus, he says you don’t even need to wear earplugs. Probably.

Image: Stephen Colbran
Image: Stephen Colbran

It looks really impressive, but that price does seem steep. Perhaps the seller is trying to recoup most or all of his investment into the car, but as we all know, modifying doesn’t always add value and it almost never adds more value than you’ve spent - unless you make a business of it. Still, it’s a neat short-cut to brilliance/madness if you can afford it.

We can imagine this being an absolute monster to drive, and it’s definitely a rare project. Let us know what you think in the comments.

Images via Stephen Colbran

Comments

Anonymous

Oeee I know this guy

01/30/2017 - 16:13 |
0 | 0
Ian.L

Bonus feature: stove for meat in the boot

01/30/2017 - 16:29 |
2 | 0
Anonymous

I thought this was only possible in games like Forza. Looks like I thought wrong

01/30/2017 - 16:40 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

this is not possible in Forza. You can add drive axles and swap engines but you can’t change the nature of the beast in a game. The weight distribution is completely different in this build.

01/30/2017 - 22:38 |
0 | 0
Callum Wetton

My mum would love this

01/30/2017 - 17:10 |
0 | 0
RedTegB20

Why cant you say K swap? If its a 2j, Ls or rb swap you call it by the engine swapped in but for a honda its just a ctr swap? Also, I wouldnt trust a seller of an engine swapped car if he doesnt even know what the motor is.

01/30/2017 - 18:12 |
2 | 2

Plus for £22,500 you’d have thought they’d take the time to take a few more pictures, write a more lengthy description and probably not sell on eBay. Something seems a bit off

01/30/2017 - 19:19 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

People do all sorts of swaps into minis, front engined Hayabusa’s & turbo vtec to 4AG’s back in the 90s

01/30/2017 - 20:14 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

VIDEO!!! You can’t have a title like that and not include audio visual release.

01/30/2017 - 20:35 |
2 | 0
Anonymous

This will nothing compared with when Bad Obession Motorsport finally finish this beast.

01/30/2017 - 21:35 |
22 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Admittedly it probably won’t be completed in the next 5 years…

01/30/2017 - 21:36 |
14 | 0
Spootneo

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

sweet AWD turbo … hope it will be finished soon

01/31/2017 - 09:30 |
2 | 0
That_NSX_Guy

Mr Bean might approve

01/30/2017 - 21:57 |
0 | 0

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