American Reacts to Mini VS Mustang at Sydney Motorsports Park!
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- čas přidán 8. 09. 2024
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i had a mini once . those things handle like no other car , you can take corners at 60km/h no brakes , near impossible to roll like vw's do a bit of work to the engines and they fly . most fun car i ever owned .
Mr Bean agrees (and Rowan Atkinson legit knows his cars)
Yer agree, the leyland 1275 with dual strombergs was a weapon on a 90 degree corner. I know the 1966 Bathurst winning car too and it is a machine
I have a v8 ute, but I value lightweight cars so much, my girlfriend has a Toyota 86, and a lotus exige will be my next car.
Cars today are just way too heavy, even my ss ute is too big, but looks tiny compared to a stupid hilux.
I was cruising with a friend in his Ford Zephyr years ago and a Mini pulled up beside us at the traffic lights.
I smiled at the guys in the mini as it was such a nice car unfortunately they thought I was taking the piss.
Anyway they absolutely smoked us once the light was green just about lifted the front wheels of the ground.
@@notthisguyagain4635 yeah not bad for a little east west motor .
The Mini won Bathurst in 1966, and Minis took the top 9 places. They were racing against more powerful cars The first car to finish behind them in 10th place was a Mopar, a Chrysler VC Valiant automatic. Maybe you should check out a highlight video of the 1966 Bathurst.
The above car is not the same as the Bathurst winners...above is Improved Production whereas Bathurst cars were Series Production.
Didn't they alter the rules later because Ford or Holden V8s were not winning? I think it was a Escort or something and when it won they found some excuse to disqualify it.
Between 1960 and 1972 the Mini won 32 rallys, 3 of those were the Monte Carlo rally.
60s rally was something else, jump in the car and go, see you much later at the finish and try not to die
I've owned a variety of cars and I can say, without fear of contradiction, minis are the most fun you can have in a car
With your clothes on I presume ?
@@fredbeach2085 for undressed activities I think the van version is preferable. :-)
Mini cooper is a car a totally adore and because of This car i met so many people and become friends with some of them 🖤👌🏻😄
never driven a lj GTRXU1?
@@fredbeach2085 Have to agree, had an FC holden with bench front seat while at Uni. A tight left turn had any girl in your arms you wanted. Best I build a mini, I'm married now.
The Mini Cooper S was only 1275 cc naturally aspirated that’s 1.275 litre
You just drive them flat out through the corners and all
They are incredible!
Handle like it’s on rails
That was the MORRIS or AUSTIN Cooper S....Mini Cooper S's are what you get today.
The Coopers were also made with smaller engines, approx 1 litre, the 1275 was a relatively late option.
I had one and got it bored out 1310 and blue printed, ported and polish. That this moved. No 253 Holden V8 could touch it. I could get to 35MPH first over a 302 Ford and the Holden 308, however I was flat out getting to the other side of the lights with the Ford 351. I couldn't take off in 1st gear as I'd just light up the tyres and get nowhere
The only problem I had was I needed a better cooling system as it would over heat if I held it flat to the floor for too long
What can I say, motor sports moves on and now my Tonka Toy Proton Jumbuck is faster than the mini, but then again it has a 1500 cc BMW motor.
@@justunicorn001 the block from the '60s BMW 1502 was the basis of BMWs F1 turbo engines in the '80s. Those produced over 1300hp!
@@flamingfrancis yeah but the BMW Mini is not in any way comparable to the original Issigonis designed Mini.
Heh, the Mini can be a lot slower in a straight line, but never having to slow for a corner is a HUGE advantage on a road course.
My first car was a Hillman Imp with sorted suspension (slightly lowered, stiffened, modified camber etc) and it was great fun chasing bigger/faster cars on twisty roads. They may be able to pull away on any straight but I'd be right behind them coming out of the next corner.
I own a classic restored 1293cc mini. I'm 6'2" and I fit in it with loads of headroom and have set the seats further back with some adaptor brackets and used a smaller 12" steering wheel for knee room. Very comfortable and an absolute blast to drive. This guy doesn't shut up about the Mustang power, sure of course it is way way more powerful but it can barely maintain a lead over a car that frankly outhandles it hands down. I have a V6 Merc but my mini is way more fun to drive. It's not just always about raw power.
When people first started racing Minis, it was found that they could corner so hard that the original pressed steel wheels could be torn straight off the hub.
They are like driving a roller skate - point, go!
I was supposed to be in that race (at the back) but had a centre main failure previous race and destroyed my engine.
We are limited to pre 1965 specs - so minis ~1300cc max and running a 45DCOE weber and treaded tyres.
I always thought you ran slicks (albeit narrow ones) in that Championship as you guys seem to have plenty of grip. I have to run skinny Dunlop historic treaded tyres here in the UK and and it's a whole lot of slidy sideways fun!
I thought it looked an early mini. Mid sixties was peak mini IMO before they added claustrophobic trim and crass detail to the poetry of the 59 original
I assume period tuning is allowed, beyond the Weber carb? Surely, 100 to 120hp is possible from 1293cc?
@@fatkev1983 They'll be getting somewhere in the region of 135bhp
@@ianbrown9082 not wrong … the front runners use Hoosiers which are basically barely treaded race tyres. I use Yokohama a032r - cheaper and get more use but lose a few seconds per lap. We did look at running tyres like UK but story goes club President put a set on his Galaxie and did a few laps and said “no way”. Again just this year they raised idea of all minis running on yokis but didn’t get interest.
You'd be surprised how much room there is in a mini. I'm 6' 4'' and it's one of the first cars I drove in one, I had to open the drivers window and let me knee out but I still managed. Having a wheel on each corner means that they handle like they're on tracks!!!
my dad raced them, he's 6'2 and was 18st, so yeah, bigger than you'd expect.
Haha. Thanks Ian. I saw this years ago. You've got to feel for the poor Mustang driver. Bet he was knackered at the end of that. Probably still has nightmares of Minis appearing closer than they seem in his mirrors. Another channel you might want to check out is BlendLine TV. It's a grass roots Australian Motorsports channel. One to check out is insane Nascar engined XT Falcon at bathurst.
bo’oh’o’wa’er
true! I'd much rather follow a car than have one dogging me in my rearview
Built in the Australian British Motor Corporation factory at Zetland, New South Wales, using 80% local content, the Morris Mini K was advertised as the "great leap forward". The Mini K ('K' standing for Kangaroo) had a 1098 cc engine and was the last round-nosed model to be produced in Australia, originally priced at A$1780. The Mini K was offered in 2-door saloon[63] and 2-door van body styles. It was distinctive in having wind-up windows and a swivelling quarterlight in Mk.I-style externally hinged doors. A small round sticker with a kangaroo logo was placed on the triangular panel between the door and the front body seam. The "Kangaroo" name was supposedly coined because it is claimed that a kangaroo can go all day without drinking which the advertisers used to emphasise the frugal fuel consumption and, possibly, larger fuel tank.
I’ve got a K and love it.
I was at Lakeside in around 1978 and watched a mini brick roll at Hungry's. It rolled for about 100 metres (100yards or thereabouts) and as it rolled the bonnet, boot, and both doors got ripped off. It ended up on its wheels and the driver climbed out with no dramas. But damn, it was an exceptional crash LOL.
I remember the days when NSW used the mini for the police highway patrol and it was hilarious to watch 2 large policemen squeeze themselves into and out of a mini.
Yes ! there was one in my local area and the cop was 6'2". Epic! I have a photo with that Officer, my friends made a huge cardboard key and with the Officers permission, we placed it on the roof of the car which made the car look like a wind-up toy. He was a good guy...only pulled MY Mini over once and I only got a warning.😁
My uncle told me of a school teacher back in the 1960s, who had a Mini. My uncle said that the teacher was quite tall, every morning at school my uncle and other students were puzzled at how he managed to get out of and get in it.
I got chased by Cst. Brown down Pennant Hill rd, I was in a Go Kart, he in the little sky blue Mini. I only got away because I cut down a footpath between some houses. Thought I had made it home, and there he is, sitting in my parents driveway, waiting for me! I cried foul, he said it was fair.
In the early 1970s I had a mate 6'4" who owned a Mini. He came home drunk one Saturday night, before RBT. His mum got up early and wanted to get her car out of the garage but my mate's Mini was parked across the driveway with 2 feet spare between the house and side fence. No one could work out how he did it.
He and his older brother used to race a rather hot Austin Healey "Bugeyed" Sprite and Alphasud in the day.
@@jurgentreue1200 You can pick up a mini at the back and drag it round, OK his mum could not but he would have been able to.
To be fair, a Mini is like driving a go-cart, while the Americans never made a car that could corner 😉👍
Edit: I seem to have offended some viewers with my post, so just to be clear. The above comment was a jest based on old European prejudices with regards to the handling of US vs European cars.
The comment was not based on facts nor intended to offend - but rather to entertain.
My bad!
My uncle was 6'4" and he used to drive a mini you would be surprised
I’m 6’1” and have plenty of room in mine.
Not a problem...if you follow the vintage car races from Goodwood in England there is a bloke who drives an E Type Jag and he's had to get the roof modified with a bulge for his tall body / big head. I'd presume there was a roll bar too. I also saw a Shelby AC Cobra with similar.
My friend passed his driving test in a Mini, he's 6' 9". 😂
@@andrewlaw My cousin Garry was around that height and had a Mini that he'd fold himself into.
[Edit] Yes, 'Garry' was how he spelled his name. Dated back to a teacher spelling it that way.
@@Graham_Langley It wasn't by choice, his test car broke down on the day and the only thing available was a Mini. 🤣
What you failed to point out was that the blue mini (12 ) did in fact beat the other Mustangs .
Back in the 70’s I had a Mini 1275 cc with just a SU carb, no mods at all. I could run rings around the 2000cc cars of the time, the handling of the Mini was so good, they didn’t have springs for suspension, they used rubber cones in their place.
BTCC back in the 60’s ran a mixed grid and you will often see the Historic Touring Cars with a mixed grid. It seems that Australia shows more of this stuff on TV than we have here in the UK.
Of course you would fit in a Mini
Ian , this track is called Sydney Motorsport Park, it is located 40 kilometers west of Sydney CBD. in the town of Eastern Creek
In the early 90"s I remember that people used to swap the original engine of the Mini for a VTEC and race them . They become bullets with the engine swap. Chears from Portugal!
dont write off a cooper s mate, they've been biting at the heels of mustangs for years. tighter track is where they come into their own and of course long straights lend them toward the big V8's. but no track has ever seen a mustang out handle a mini. look for the neptune racing team from the 60's here in Oz, cheers for the vid
Smaller wheels are a disadvantage on longer straights but you are correct they are nimble and weigh nothing
You'd Love, "Goodwood Members Meeting 2022", on CZcams with all the vintage vehicles from 1900s to 80s, it's held at the Goodwood Race Track just down the road from Goodwood House West Sussex from where they hold the Festival of Speed, which held F1 racing pre 70s. Pure Nostalgia with all the great old racers racing wheel to wheel no holds barred....
My first car was a 64 Morris mini Panel van. 1275cc bored out 60 thou with domed pistons. stuck like glue to the road and flew And I'm 6' 2",
Mini's did some great rally racing. Also would love to see a race with mini's, Fiat 500(the original) and any mini car from that era.
As someone who owned a rare Mini and drove a couple of others I'll describe it like this: A Mini gives the platform to extract 100% from the car 100% of the time you want to and as a side effect make you do that even when you don't, hehe.
I knew this would be a hell of a battle before I even watched the video. We see these kind of races a lot at classic car events in England. The Mini is basically just a go-kart with a body. They're way quicker round corners than you'd think. You throw them into a corner and they just stick! Pitting them against Mustangs is actually a really good pairing, if you're on the right race track.
not only are they fast on the track but minis DOMINATED rally in the early years because of how well they handled
I drive a Smart Car which is the modern day Mini and it's like being in a Mario Cart, it doesn't have high top end speed because it doesn't need to, it is a city car and in it's own environment it just kicks ass and parks anywhere!
A modern day mini is called a daihatsu
And don't bring up that ugly bmw thing
loved my bored out 69' Mini to 1010 with 1 3/4 twin SU. My best mate was a Carby mechanic and every Friday night before heading out we would turn her up. One night I pissed a VC Commodore by over taking him up a hill, he caught up to me and rammed me, I took off and he kept flashing his lights and I kept loosing him on the corners. He would catch me on the straights. The streets were perfect grid pattern and I finally took a right at a stop sign under handbrake and he went straight though. A few moments later, flashing headlights again, only this time he had a Blue light turned on too. I had picked up detective heading to work. He was very cool, and understood what had happened and handed me back my license. "Keep it to the tracks". he said. That was the best and scariest night for a 20 yr old 33 years ago. I still remember the foot tremors trying to drive home after. Oh an the Tilley boys who race the Valiant's had a hand in modifying the exhaust and the extractors. You would have fitted in there as there was no passenger seat, I took it out so my 6.3 mate would fit.
In New South Wales, in the 1970's, the Mini Cooper S, was used as a Police highway pursuit vehicle. They worked a treat doing that job.
The race was at Sydney Motorsport Park, formerly known as Eastern Creek Raceway.
It’s not actually Muscle Car Masters, but actually Historic Group N (specifically Na, Nb and Nc)….you can tell by the lettering next to the number on the doors.
It's very interesting to see match-ups like these. Rear wheel, straight axle V8s vs front wheel drive, 4 cylinder, independent suspension go karts. It's great to watch different cars go around a track. Goodwood has this in spades. Huge Ford Galaxies and Fairlanes, against British Ford Cortinas against Cobras, against minis. There's the Owlett, which is an old Frazier-Nash with a solid rear axle and a transmission made from bicycle chains. The squirrelliest looking thing you'll ever see.
And then there's classic rallies. A vintage 1960s Saab 96 with a 3 cylinder 2-stroke screaming like a swarm of angry bees rounding the corners is the most insane thing you'll both hear and see. Check those out!
The Mini Cooper S is a 1275 cc (78 cubic inch) naturally aspirated front wheel drive vehicle. as opposed to the Mustang, which is a 289 cubic inch (4735 cc) rear wheel drive vehicle. My 1967 Cooper S is a great little track day vehicle - the cornering is unbelievable. You don't drive the car - you wear it. Great automotive experience!
I have a 1977 Mini and I can tell you you'd fit right in without any problem. Front seats are impressively spacious for the size of the car.
Now, I'd bet you'd have a hard time even trying to climb into the back seats. Even for a child they are tight.
Here in the UK, there is a dedicated racing club which hosts one-make races with Minis even more extreme than the 60's touring cars; that being the Mini Se7en Racing Club.
The racing is split into two classes; the junior Se7en division with sub-1-litre engines, and the professional Miglia division with a 130hp 1.3L engine and super aggressive flared fenders.
Given a longer race and a tighter circuit and I'd be putting my money on a mini. Less brake and tyre degradation I'm guessing.
Thanks Ian that was really entertaining.
On a different tack and knowing how you love red landscapes I'd suggest a segment on Murchison river/Kalbarri Gorges in Western Australia. Did a 3 day camp/track thru there when l was a teenager, best 3 days of my life.
I bout a Mini brand new in 1973. Hairy Lime was the name of the color. Did a little rally driving in it. Out ran the cops one night purely because of cornering and being able to take a side road at speed, switched the lights off and that cop flew past the intersection. He would never have believed we could make that corner at speed. Had to take the backroads to go to the drive-in, and get back home again. Crazy good little car.
In the day of genuine manufacturing racing, Mini Cooper S's won outright at Bathurst. There must be some you tube videos out there. They literally flww down the mountain.
1966
I had four of the original, a couple of standard 1000cc's, a 1100 and a tuned 1000. As its been said, fantastic cars to drive, no real need to slow down for corners, just aim for the apex and when you get there, turn and boot it!
Love the Cooper S as a race car. Not so much as a road car, having seen one split almost in half straight across from B pillar to B pillar post accident. It looked like how some restaurants present the main part of the dish, cut open to show all the layers of what's inside.
I think the driver really did try to wrap the car around whatever it was they hit.
Well many cars out of that (no seat belt) area deform like that in crashes nothing compareabel to modern cars with there computer simulation strengend super rigid driver cap and engergy absorbing crumbling zone
You HAVE to watch tonight's replay of a historical 1000 goals to 'Buddy' Franklin in the AFL, it will never happen again, the crowd erupted and all jumped the fence storming him, one of the greatest spectacles of sport to watch live!!! 30,000+ fans storming the field!!!
As soon as the Mustang started to slow up to close the corners off in the last lap it was all over for the Mini. Great race.
Really enjoyed that, took me back to the old days of Bathurst when you had Toranas, Mazdas, Cortinas, Minis, Escorts, Falcons etc. With drivers like Peter Brock, Dick Johnson and Alan Moffat
The rules limit the modifications of these Minis quite heavily, so they are 1293cc with twin carbs and put out 125-135hp@8000rpm and weigh around 1400lbs
With treaded tyres too.
there used to be a Celebrity Challenge race which was mostly Aussie celebs all driving factory cars around the track to see who was the best. They had to do training and everything but man was that a fun race to watch.
My early racing car experiences.
Peter Manton(Cooper S) vs Norm Beechey (Monaro) vs Allan Moffatt (Mustang) vs Bob Jane (Camaro) vs Ivan Piantenesi (Brock modified Austin A30 with Holden 6pot), John Bowe in anything he brought carefully across Bass Strait. I can remember them at Mallala and Adelaide International Raceway. Great motor racing history from Adelaide (1970 -1973)
A mini is the automotive equivalent of driving a puppy. Girls love them.
Definitely check out Goodwood in the UK. The members meetings have been running for over 75 years, and it is simply the best historics racing in the world without a doubt. Worlds best drivers involved, racing the coolest cars. Nick Swift is my personal favourite in terms of mini driving, unbelievable.
I used to watch this mix in the sixties at Thompson CT. They're both SCCA sedans so they raced together. The Mustang would power by the minis at the end of the back straight, only to be swallowed up by them at the hairpin onto the front straight. Of course they're in different classes
Some of the greatest racing ever. Minis, Lotus Cortinas, Chevy Nova, Monaros, etc at Calder in the 1960's. Anyone could win.
In the 90's, I autocrossed in the PCA. We were the "others" class and had 2 minis in our class. We had moderately modified GTIs and the minis would WALK us. They were also MUCH faster than the Porsches. It was maddening....like racing an El Dorado against a go-cart. LOL.
I had a 1967 Mk1 mini cooper in 1989....awesome handling and so fun to drive!
Sydney Motorsports Park at Eastern Creek. Wish they'd pump a bit of money into spectator facilities. I went there to one of the Top Gear shows a few years ago and the facilities were pretty rubbish.
I had a '74 Mini 1000. Those little things really do handle like nothing else. Seriously, you don't ever have to worry about braking, you can just bury your foot, and, keep it there.
The smile you get driving a mini down a B road is brilliant 😍 Americans don't know
From Wikipedia: Sydney Motorsport Park (known until May 2012 as Eastern Creek International Raceway) is a motorsport circuit located on Brabham Drive, Eastern Creek (40-kilometres west of the Sydney CBD),[1] New South Wales, Australia, adjacent to the Western Sydney International Dragway. It was built and is owned by the New South Wales Government and is operated by the Australian Racing Drivers Club. The circuit is one of only two permanent tracks in Australia with an FIA Grade 2 license[2] and is licensed for both cars and motorcycles.
Normally aspirated. My friends brother had a 1310 full house cooper s. I can personally attest to 130mph for a late 1960s mini. I remember one year at bathurst minis finished all at the front of the feild
Watching this race reminds me of a NZ movie from the 80's 'Goodbye Pork-Pie' in which a yellow Mini is on the run from the police driving Holden kingswood's
That was a real fun movie, and was important in getting recognition and success for the NZ film industry
My dad raced a variety of cooper s on dirt tracks around the south of England, wet days were his best days. They may be small, but he was 6'2 and weighed around 18stone, so they had plenty of space.
my first car was a mini here in the UK. incredible fun cars. And the handling really is fantastic. I even did a reversing J turn (180°) in front of half my school leaving one day...completely by accident, but passed it off as intentional.
The Mini punching above its weight is basically the story of the UK for centuries 🙂
The Mini doesn’t care about the size of your engine, its beaten just about everything in some of the greatest races in the world. 1275cc NA 4cylinder about the size of a small outboard motor or a large sewing machine but a tiny, lightweight car with some of the sweetest handling ever.
I have a first gen BMW Mini Cooper R50 (so non-S NA engine) and the thing is a weapon in corners for a road car. I'm 6' and have no problem being in it. My brother-in-law is ~6'4" and he had an S, who then passed it down to his son who is a bit taller and super long legged. They also get great gas mileage in urban areas, even when you are "spirited". The newer gen cars have been said to have lost some of their road feel, but I haven't had experience to confirm it. If you ever get the chance to hop in one for a test drive, don't pass it up. Even if you may not have the same feeling as me, you can at least say you've been in one. Also greetings from west central IL. :)
Loved it! Minis and Mustangs is a crazy match but on the right circuit it works beautifully. Driven some awesome Minis over the years, never a Mustang but totally different dynamics. Great race!
I love small cars, got a 1.0 Suzuki swift (sold as the Geo Metro in the states) and its just so much fun to chuck about on a back road. My other car, a Rover 825SD, is the exact opposite. Smooth, comfortable and a great cruiser with a surprisingly good sound track
An old friend of mine used to be a mechanic for Mercedes and had a Mini that he'd seriously modified, he took me for a ride in it once and it was phenomenal!
There was a mod for race sim rFactor called "Historic GT and Touring cars" that had these cars modelled really well and it was fun to drive. Ford Cortina was there also and it often went through corners with 1 front wheel in the air lol
a friend from university back in the day had a Mini Cooper S. It was like riding in a go-kart. It felt like you were going a lot faster.
The mini was never punching above its weight. One of the greatest cars ever made.
It most certainly was punching above it's weight.
It was a giant killer!
It's all about horsepower to weight ratio, weight to tire patch area ratio, and the greater force needed to alter the course, acceleration, and deceleration of a greater weight (mass). Colin Chapman, founder of Lotus, said; More horsepower makes a car faster on the straight, but lighter weight makes a car faster everywhere on the track.
Mini's became famous in the 60's in the UK when they won the prestigious MONTE CARLO RALLY, Driving in snow, ice and over mountains in Europe to Monte Carlo. The S version started as a 998cc then went to 1071 and finally 1275 cc. If you like this watch the GOODWOOD REVIVAL! The weekend is dedicated to recreating racing from different past eras. The range of cars and motorcycles racing is staggering! I urge you to watch it you WILL NOT BE SORRY !!!! Mini's are being fitted with motorcycle engines and boy they really go!
Track: Sydney Motorsport Park ( Eastern Creek )
Track owner: NSW Government and Managed by Australian Racing Drivers Club ( A.R.D.C.)
Mini's will take on any thing and are hard to out class. Holds to the track as if it was on rails on corners
My mum drove around 1977 an Innocenti Cooper 1.300 with 64 bhp, that thing went 11 seconds to 62 miles, it nailed Audi 100 LS and BMW 2002 I. The early seventies only the Golf GTI from 1977 on was faster 60 miles for normal peoples cars . The VW 1600 Square back was just at 50 miles when the mini had over 62 miles on the speedo..
This car mix has a pretty long history, they used to race these cars in the BTCC as well back in the day, the Mustang sucked everywhere except on the straights much like all American cars did up until resent years, that's what made this mix up possible and really fun to watch.
This shows an extension to the original track which is mostly used for drifting and corporate track days. The V8's the extended part where the mini's are fast.
The mini was a Monte Carlo rally monster . Got to love both cars. This was fun . My dad had a mini 😂 great fun .
The original Mini is nothing more than a go-cart for those afraid of rain ....... I love 'm
I drove a "Special" with the 1275 cc engine.and had tremendous fun in it on the polder-dikes here in the Netherlands. Hardly a straight line to drive and flying up-and-down through the gears for the bends. Not quite the "Cooper" but it drove very well, thank you very much.
Being 6'2" I'm not exactly small but had plenty of room for my legs and still had clearance above my head.
The only thing was it had a very stiff suspension and driving 70 mph along an older highway made of concrete slabs made you feel every divider between the slabs through your spine. Fortunately those highways were on their way out to be replaced by smooth asphalt.
They had this sort of thing in the British Touring Car Championship in the '70s. Basically, the mustangs would murder the minis on the straights, and the minis would murder the mustangs in the corners. It was absolutely bonkers :)
The Track is Eastern Creek . The shortened track route .
That style of Mini STARTED the Hot , Lightweight , 4 seater , trend .
Originally B.M.C and later Leyland built . John Cooper helped them create the Cooper S .
Colin Chapman already knew about " Adding Lightness " . The Lotus and Cosworth Guy . And Chapman's WIFE built on his Legacy after he died .
I owned a 1275GT. Twin Weber carbs as standard and to this day I still say there is no car that would keep up with it on a tight street circuit. A blast to drive.
In the early days of motor sport in Australia, the races had all classes of cars; but they were production cars, the same as sold to the public.
Minis are brilliant little cars! They are small, light and surprisingly quick considering most stock Mini Cooper S cars were only 75hp and mustangs were over 270hp. Minis corner like they are on rails so can give the bigger cars trouble when on narrow bendy roads. There are videos out there where they have done crazy engine swaps into minis, often Superbike engines.
They raced Mini Coopers vs Ford Galaxies in the UK. Insane races to watch. Galaxies just walk away on the straights and the Coopers take a bite in the corners!
I’ve got a 1970 mini K ( K for kangaroo and it’s an Aussie only model) I’ve had since 1993 and my best mate has a 65 convertible mustang. Both great cars.
If you ever get a chance to drive a Mini, do. You just can't help yourself but grin from ear to ear the first time you release the clutch. Caution though they're addictive.
Fantastic dice. On a twisty track like this you can`t just leave a Mini in your dust, he`ll be right behind you or sometimes in front. Normally aspirated, no turbos.
Glad you said 2014 most don't say Year but Awesome Mini cooper "S" battle sliding and Power over came. Thanks for the share!!
I love the fact that anyone can manually adjust the camber/castor on the front wheels on a Mustang -But you have to weld add on parts onto a mini to get a similar ground cornering tires grip. But the Mini's are lighter and rev a lot higher -this allows them to buzz through the corners!
Don't forget the Mini won the Monte Carlo rally 3 times in the 1960s, and "won" but were disqualified for illegal lights another year.
I watched Mini's at Mid-Ohio go through the corkscrew and it was awesome. They drive like the car has no brake pedal.
The 66 Bathurst had Mini’s filling 5 of the top 6 finishers. (Memory but something like that). The next big David Vs Goliath was the Torana XU-1 vs Falcon GTHOs; then the Valiant Pacers & Chargers came on board vs the Torana’s and Falcons
Had a 1979 Mini as my first car. I’ve never drove anything that handles like it ever since
Basicly; a Mini is a go-cart with a bigger engine; they are agile as hell, and were even successful in rallies, before 4WD were introduced
Back in the 60s this kind of racing was common in the UK, big Ford's and little British cars and then big jags and what not.
Genuinely exciting racing
Have a look at Rally Cross, that's great too
Yes minis are NA, I'm not entirely sure you can add a turbo to the Mini's A-Series engine.
But you can swap the engine for one of those screaming bike engines.
Saw similar at Donington in UK, with some Historic Touring cars, a Falcon (now that is big) was being swamped by Minis apart from on the straights, it could not stand the pace and had to let the Minis go in the end. Made me laugh to see a mini pass on either side of it through the old hairpin.
💚LOVED IT💚LOVED IT💚LOVED IT. My first car was a Mini Cooper S. British Racing Green with a white roof, with twin carbies and twin exhausts. I was a 17 -year -old girl. Usually, the boys with the nice car attracted the girls...well hey presto! I got quite a few good dates but a lot just wanted to drive the car. 🤣🤣 A Mini actually won Bathurst and partially because of their speed and maneuverability, The New South Wales Police actually had some as patrol cars. There was one in my local area and there was nothing funnier than seeing the 6'2" Officer "peel" himself out of that car 🤣 I have a photo with that Officer, my friends made a huge cardboard key and with the Officers permission, we placed it on the roof of the car which made the car look like a wind-up toy. The photo is epic. I will send you a copy if I can find it.
back in the 70's in the UK, it was common for rallycross races to have Minis, Escort Mexicos and Hillman Imps up against what we used to call Yank Tanks - Mustangs, Dodges and Chevvies. the Lydden Hill racetrack used to have awesome battles.
ps i shoudn't forget the Long Marston track either
Classic Minis - still the most popular car for saloon racing. Why? Old cast iron technology, surprisingly durable, ALL parts easily available, all DIY-able, and the least expensive to maintain. I still have my '81 Mini, owned from new, still running fine, they'll take me up to the crematorium in it.
As an ex owner of both a Mini Cooper i the UK and a 350. 4 barrel Mustang in Canada I can vouch for the fact the Mustang had bags of power but the Mini could out corner it six ways from Sunday. Loved both cars for different reasons though
Had a 71 mini back in the day , cool little cars .Some knew them as a "Pregnant Roller skate"
The original mini (*850) was like the tradis. Went for a trip once (1965/6?) with 7 passengers (4 in the back and 3 in the front)...Put twin SUs and full race extractors on it. Still only did 87MPH...LOL