The World’s Fastest Mini Cooper?
Probably, since it goes 175 mph in the quarter-mile.
Ken Hebert of Tecumseh, Ontario, was disappointed in the performance of his 2011 Mini Cooper, so he made a few adjustments.
Let him tell you: “It’s a 2,700-pound, 100-percent stock-bodied car with a 900-horsepower, 550-cubic-inch big-block Chevrolet. Powerglide transmission, Ford rear end, chrome moly chassis, built in three months, start to finish. We’ve been racing for two years, and we’ve made 200 passes.”
Sadly, the car turned out to be unsatisfactory for commuting, so Hebert now drag races the Mini, including last weekend at the IHRA Mopar Canadian Nationals at Grand Bend Motorplex, where he won several rounds before final eliminations.
He also added a pair of “SS” badges that, believe it or not, look stock. Not much else does. One big advantage of using the Clubman: When he does burnouts, he just leaves the rear hatches open to let out the smoke.
So, his best times? A 8.51-second pass in the quarter-mile at 150 mph “on the motor alone, and 7:70 and 175 mph on nitrous oxide.”
Hebert does admit that the conversion affected fuel mileage negatively. He does not seem to care a damn bit.
