CHECKMATE

Bright colours, 18in wheels, BTCC-inspired interiors, and more pops and bangs than you can shake an angry neighbour’s fist at.

It’s not difficult to create a hardcore MINI that can stop people in their tracks for a few minutes – all you have to do is go big and loud. But on another level completely is the build that puts subtlety at the fore, where the owner has been OCD about layering clever and perfectly executed details that gradually reveal themselves to you the longer you look.

This R53 may well be the best example of this approach we’ve seen. At the root of its unique appeal is the fact that it’s a Checkmate special edition, which not only endows it with an inherent exclusivity, but the Space Blue paint and Pure Silver roof is so damn classy that it