Fastest Car season 2

[Dmulder]

Anybody else been watching Fastest Car season 2 on Netflix?  Episode 4 had a 1974 Mini Cooper with. J32 Acura motor shoved in the rear end. Looks like a guy out of California who actually builds Coopers into what he calls Super Coopers. I won't give the ending away but he goes up against a Mclearan and does very well.

[MiniDave]

That's Tyler Gildred of Gildred Racing. I sat next to him at MMEMW in Snowmass this summer, he's a really interesting and nice guy. They had the red car there at Snowmass - drove it there from California

[Dmulder]

I'm really interested in the set up that he has.  Is that engine a honda vtech engine or not?  Why in the rear and not the front?

[gr8kornholio]

Just going off the engine code I'd say it's a 3.2 liter v6 and to make that power probably running a turbo so no way that'll fit up front. Not sure if they were still using vtec. 

There are so many engine swap options for a mini out there.

[MiniDave]

Yes, its a turbo charged rear mounted Acura V-6 making 500 hp.....and yes Vtec. Their concept is to make the car very civilized as well as stupid fast -  as such is has A/C, cruise control and all sorts of amenities, much like a modern car. And priced the same! These start at over $100K

You can buy a kit from MiniTec to do the engine and front and rear subframes (that's where they get theirs) and they'll even supply the V-6, although it's cheaper just to get one from one of the breakers. My buddy Russ blew his up when his waste gate stuck on the dyno and it went to 22psi of boost and he got another (out of a Honda Odyssey) for about $500.

Its surprising to me how well they can get the power down, the acceleration is mind blowing, but by 120 mph it's all over as they still have a diff ratio for a car with 18" wheels, and they're running 13's. I'm sure fuel mileage is dismal as well......

[94touring]

Not sure the weight of a mini could handle 500hp to the front wheels.  It would just wheel hop and brush the road. 

[MiniDave]

Surprisingly, it just digs in and goes - Russ's car is the same way.....it's almost impossible to get it to break loose

[94touring]

That's rear wheel drive?

[MiniDave]

The red car is, just like Russ Foust's car - rear mounted V-6. They also do 4 cyl V-tec and have just started offering the Ford 1L 3cyl Ecoboost...those are both front drive.

Part one of the video