Mini Remastered by David Brown is made from scratch with handcrafted procedures and new sheet steel. The original four-cylinder, 1275cc engines have been reconditioned to give 50% more power, although they retain the eight valves and emissions are not up to date. The four-speed gearbox has also been reconditioned, and the suspension and braking elements are new. The classic design is respected as much as possible, but with more structural reinforcements, David Brown logos, a new front grille, bullet mirrors and in-house LED rear light clusters.
Don't expect them to be cheap: each one takes 1,000 man-hours to make and will be in limited production.
The interior features more luxurious materials than the model that went out of production at the turn of the century, all to the customer's liking. It incorporates technological novelties such as push-button start, climate control, 7″ infotainment system compatible with Android Auto and CarPlay, USB socket, central locking with remote control, etc. That contrasts with classic design elements, like the Smith clocks. It has more soundproofing than the classic model, so it will be more comfortable.
The good thing about the original design - conveniently revised - is that it is very very small, only 3 meters long. The modern version can be customized with various body colors, two-tone roof, alloy wheels, etc.. The painting process is so thorough that it is guaranteed for life, up to four weeks per car.
In other words, it is a total whim; prices have not been announced, but can easily exceed 40,000 euros per unit. It will be unveiled to the general public on April 20 at the Top Marques in Monaco. With that all is said and done. On the other hand, I see a priori a little complicated the issue of importing and homologating it, as it lacks many amenities and security systems of a modern car.
