What's all this then?
This is the MINI John Cooper Works Challenge, an über-MINI designed by an in-house Saturday morning skunk works in the MINI factory in Oxford. It's been designed to be brilliant on the road, and even better on the track.
Mechanically speaking, it's a MINI John Cooper Works, so it has a 231hp 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder engine, does 0-62mph in 6.3 seconds and has a top speed of 153mph, with CO2 emissions of 155g/km. So far, so more or less standard.
Where the boffins have been busy though is underneath - there's a bespoke, hand-made, part-titanium suspension system designed and supplied by specialists Nitron. It has fully adjustable dampers, ride height, camber and castor and Challenge owners are being encouraged to fiddle with the settings themselves to find their perfect setup.
Brakes are massive 330mm drilled and vented discs with four-pot Brembo callipers, while the 17-inch alloy wheels are lighter than standard, supplied by Team Dynamics and come wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres. Each wheel and tyre unit is 2.5kg lighter than standard.
There's a body kit more aggressive than a Russian football fan, with splitters front and rear, a roof wing extension and carbon fibre finish for the air intake and door mirrors. Inside, it's none-more-black Carbon Black seats and Piano Black trim, and while you do get a numbered plaque (just 100 will be made) and standard park distance control, rain-sensing wipers and adaptive LED headlamps, that's your lot - there are no optional extras and the list price is £32,000.
Fancy one? Get down to Goodwood next week then - the Challenge will be launched at The Festival of Speed.
Neil Briscoe - 15 Jun 2016