Latest Tolman project transforms Mini Cooper S

They’re busy boys and girls at Tolman right now. There are apparently four 205 GTIs in build, set for completion next year; we’ll see two more ’80s icons recommissioned in 2025 as well. And the end of this year is being marked in some style, too, as its latest ‘one-off’ build, a 1968 Mini Cooper S, has just been completed. 

Interestingly, this little red rocket hasn’t been created by a customer desperate to jump onto the restomod craze. They’ve owned the Mini for a decade, and turned to Tolman ‘to create a Mini he could enjoy as a daily with all the charm of the original, but with fewer of the pitfalls of a 56-year-old car.’ Even in its newly rejuvenated (presumably quite valuable) form, this will be put to regular use on a commute and as a fun classic, which is great to hear. Certainly the spec would suggest that this is going to be an absolute hoot. Power from the 1,275cc A Series is up to 90hp – plenty with just 685kg to fling along – thanks to the introduction of fuel injection and a bespoke Tolman exhaust. There’s also 80lb ft from 3,000rpm-6,000rpm, which will help everyday drivability, as will an electronic engine management system. But keeping just four gears and an open diff should mean an authentically Mini experience.

Extra goodies for the chassis include ditching the hydroelastic suspension for KAD adjustable tie rods and Bilstein dampers, ATEC CNC brake lines and Dunlop Aquajet tyres. The latter deliberately chosen to make sure the Cooper S isn’t overly grippy – ‘lively when driven hard’ is the promise, which sounds excellent. 

Of course the mechanical improvements are only part of the appeal to a project like this. Tolman spent a year on the Mini, taking it back to the bare shell and reassembling to ensure even panel gaps. The original brightwork and headlining have been retained, but plenty has been upgraded as well, including heated screens, LED lights and even – luxury of luxuries – a rev counter. There’s a Bluetooth stereo, plus paint and underside protection, so it’s now a Mini made for anything and everything the owner now wants to throw at it. 

“The Mini is already a famously fun and practical car to own, our job was to take these attributes to the next level,” Chris Tolman said. “In keeping with our previous projects, our team’s decades of motorsports experience have not been used to create the fastest Mini possible – instead we’ve been tasked with the greater challenge of enhancing what made the car special in the first place.”

While the car is described as a ‘one-off’ (with no price given for the alterations), doubtless the firm would be delighted to repeat the trick if the idea of a useable ’60s-era Cooper appeals. In the meantime, one lucky owner is going to have a very happy Christmas indeed.