In the Februaruy issue of Car and Driver, there is an article about the
"Mini Tec Vtec MINI"

This thing has a 220 HP Vtec honda engine in it, and weighs about 1800
lbs. Here are some specs, courtesy of C&D.

Tranny: 5 spd man
wheelbase: 81.5"
curb weight: 1792 lbs
0-60: 5.0 sec
0-100: 11.9 sec
street start 5-60: 6.0 sec
quarter mile: 13.6 @ 104 mph
skidpad: 0.96 g

Anyway, Mini Tec, a tuner in Georgia takes the original no frills mini,
and crams all kinds of new technology into it. There is also a
conversion kit available for your Mini which costs $2,500 if you
already have the Honda power train and Mini. The Mini Tec complete car
comes in base at about $23,000. The company is also considering a
lowered powered version with around 170 HP for $19,000.

The complete car looks stock except for the 175/60R-13 tires, the added
fender flares to accompany them and the dual exhaust.

I found this interesting, because the only other car that has generated
the public response of the Mini was, of course, the VW Beetle.
Hopefully some CEO somewhere will take this rocket as a cue to respond
with a slash of competition based on our humble little cars. Of
course, I don't know how I would feel about a watercooled engine in a
Beetle, but if it LOOKED stock, I would love to pull up next to some
idiot in his brand new 'Stang and leave him staring at two stripes of
smoking rubber.

~Anthony