STREET FIGHTER

Have you ever seen a MINI at a gym? No, neither have we, what a ridiculous concept, right? And yet, looking at this Pepper white R56, that seems to be exactly what it’s been doing. That stance, the pumped-up arches, it looks like it’s been doing some seriously heavy lifting, and there’s more to this MINI than just those sculpted looks. It’s got the automotive muscle where it counts, and this is the complete performance package. That this MINI is so finely honed comes as no surprise when you discover that owner Geoff Clement is himself both a gym owner and personal trainer, so it’s no wonder his MINI is in such good shape.

For Geoff, MINIs and Minis have always been in his peripheral vision, something he’s appreciated but never really been into until a couple of his friends got their hands on an R53 JCW and an R56, and suddenly he found his interest piqued. “This JCW is my first MINI,” he tells us. “I actually bought this car as a cheap runabout after a bad experience with an Approved Used BMW 640i GC and thought something small, nippy, and fun would be good! I didn’t see all the horror stories on the N14 engine until after purchase, though” he winces.

“I had been looking online for a few weeks, and this was an original, unmodified example for a good price. The car was really clean for its age and mileage and looked like it had been taken care of.