This Classic Mini With Acura V6 Engine Packs 500 HP At The Wheels

When you think of the classic Mini, the first things that will probably come to mind are the small two-door hatchbacks of yesteryears that are slow and not really exhilarating to drive. Sure, their sheer size and weight have merits in other areas, but ultimately, classic Minis aren't the first car you'll look for if you want speed. Not to mention, pop culture icons like Mr. Bean has given the car a comic reputation.

But not this one. Gildred Racing, a tuner from Buellton, California, has been doing extraordinary things with Mini Coopers from the 1970s. Aptly called the Super Cooper, it has turned the small hatchback into a superstar, enough to be featured on Netflix's Fastest Car.

This particular example of the Super Cooper Type S is the exact vehicle that was featured on the Netflix series. While design-wise, this classic 1974 Mk3 Mini may pass as a a normal old hatchback, what resides in its engine bay is the cherry on top of the cake.

A 3.5-liter Acura J32 V6 Type S engine powers this tuned Cooper, and it's not hiding under the hood. Instead, it's mounted in the supposed rear seats. To give a further boost, the Japanese engine is force-inducted by a Rotrex C38-81 Supercharger, boosting the power output up to a whopping 502 horsepower (369 kiloWatts) and 383 pound-feet (519 Newton-meters) torque at the wheels. Even better, this build comes exclusively with a 6-speed manual gearbox.

The Super Cooper Type S is also rear-wheel drive and to balance out the weight, the air-conditioning, the fuel cell, and the car battery are all mounted up front.

The whole build, including the techie in-cabin package, will cost you $150,000. A bit costly but hey, if that's the price to pay for a 500-hp Mini, then where do we sign?