Mini Equipe built to celebrate BTCC success
Tuning house Arden has released a special-edition Mini, called the Equipe, limited to just 40 units.
Arden is better known for tweaked versions of Jaguar and Land Rovers, but it has turned its hand to this Mini Equipe to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the BTCC championship title of Irishman Alec Poole in an Equipe Arden Mini Cooper S.
Handmade stainless steel and chrome highlights decorate the front and rear of the Mini Equipe, and the exterior tweaks are finished off with bespoke 18in alloys. Inside, Arden has covered the Mini Equipe in acres of two-tone leather, with sections of suede trim around some of the instruments and covering the A-pillars.
Car sits 30mm lower on bespoke 18in wheels
Under the bonnet the Cooper S’s turbocharged 1.6 has had its ECU tweaked, while a stainless steel exhaust system with racing catalytic converters and a new intercooler have been fitted. The result is an extra 39bhp and 37lb ft, bringing the Mini Equipe’s power output to 212bhp and a healthy 214lb ft of torque.
A sports suspension package with 30mm lowering springs is also fitted, along with six-pot callipers for the front brakes. Arden has not yet released details of pricing.