Photography courtesy of David Brown Automotive
You can’t beat a Mini for bombing around the streets and lanes of Great Britain, but you’d be hard pressed to find a classic one that doesn’t need a serious amount of welding and a little ingenuity to figure out where to balance your iPhone. Hats off then to David Brown Automotive, the company redefining coach building for the 21st century for taking the much loved design of the classic Mini to task.
Yesterday, at the launch of their newest retro reimagining, company founder David Brown said that the car has already had a great response from existing customers, “We’ve had an amazing response to the car from current Speedback GT customers and fans of David Brown Automotive in general, and we believe this is a car that will appeal to men, women, the young and old.” Brown’s just stating a fact here: of course the Mini appeals to everyone—but it’s what he’s packed into the car that’s getting the kids doing the twist again.
The all-new car has kept the the majority of Alec Issigonis’ original concept, but—traditionalists might want to look away now—David Brown has put its own stamp on the car by changing the design of the grille and taillights. Then there’s all the new tech on board. The Remastered Mini boasts a built-in infotainment and navigation system with all of your Apple and Android connectivity needs, as well access for other systems via USB, and whatever you choose to pipe through the trick setup, a four-speaker sound system can really blow the bloody doors off.
The engine has been reworked, too. The David Brown Automotive team has completely rebuilt the classic Mini engine and have slapped on enough modifications to gain 50% more power over the original. Match all that to a fully reconditioned four-speed gearbox with better brakes and suspension as well, and you’ve got yourself the perfect non-Mini Mini runaround for the modern day.
