Engine swaps, we’ve see quite a few. Burly V-8s replacing puny flat-fours or screaming V-10 engines giving new life to Japanese sports cars and muscle cars alike. A motorcycle engine powering a Mini, however, is not something you see every day.

Massive power isn’t a prerequisite of fun

This is where this 1991 Rover Mini comes into focus.

The 185-horsepower engine that revs to 13,000 rpm is mid-mounted, because the owner wanted to retain the full trunk (go figure!) and get some frunk space, too - although the gas tank and the radiator swallow a chunk of the available space in the front trunk.

Having a Kawasaki engine right behind the driver’s post comes with a particular set of tweaks. Power now goes to the rear axle, the car rocks a motorcycle transmission so there’s no reverse gear, and to upshift above 6,000 rpm you don’t even need the clutch anymore. Alec Issigonis must be smiling in his grave.

Visually, a lot of custom bits and bobs were used to build the current flair of the project, which spanned over the course of “quite a few years.” That said, we can’t decide what’s radder: the wide body kit a la Rocket Bunny, the huge rear diffuser, or the custom carbon fiber dashboard that incorporates a bunch of actual motorcycle gauges.

Safety comes from four-point seat belts and disc brakes on all four corners. Oh, and if you’re wondering whether this contraption is road legal, here’s a piece of the owner’s mind: everything’s legal until you get caught.