The saying, “big things come in small packages" is misused and often taken out of context. But nothing fits that description better than a 500-hp Mini Cooper. If sleepers had an army, it’d rank as Sergeant. On their latest episode, Hoonigan featured a crazy-powered 1974 Mini Cooper MK III at the Burnyard.
Let’s face it. Humans are perhaps the most competitive creatures in the world. We are also a sucker for “winning against all odds,” that’s why Hollywood sports films were such a hit in the early 80s and 90s. We love to see the protagonist (good guy) take on and defeat an antagonist (bad guy).
Arguably, the same can be said about sleepers. It’s all about taking your opponent when they least expect it. The dopamine rush that follows after is euphoric.
There are only two scenarios where anyone in their right mind would call a 1974 MK III MINI Cooper a ripper. One, if they live in the 70s, and two, if it packs a ton of heat under the hood. Err. Sorry, underneath the trunk.
According to Tyler, the owner, this 1974 MK III Cooper isn’t your ordinary classic Mini. It packs an Acura J32 engine and a Rotrex supercharger. The result is about 500 hp (509 ps).
“I’ve been hellbent on making the craziest classic Mini you can make. That’s been my mission for almost 20 years now. “Tyler said.
So far, Tyler has built seventy of these rocket-bunny classic sleeper Mini Coopers. Not all of them come with the J-series engines at the back. There’s a variation of B-series, D-series, and standard A-series engines. They’ve also done a couple with Ford EcoBoost engines.
As you’d expect, the 500-hp classic Mini Cooper ripped hard on the Hoonigan Burnyard. We recommend watching it blow the ear drums off the Hoonigan team in the video below.
Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life. Full profile
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