I luv Mini's....
Had a ripper '68 Cooper S ages ago that I had supercharged. It almost kept up with my Kawasaki Z1 900 (bike), before I turbocharged that.
The mini was just so good, I got another one for spares and then re-built that one! (the usual stuff, like crossflow head, and lots of carbies etc etc.)
They really hike along, plus their exceptional road holding. Freaked out a lot of Porsche owners, overtaking them sideways....
Ah, them was the days!