The MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S have been best sellers since their introduction in 2001. Based on the iconic original Minis that were popular in North America in the 1960s, the new MINIs have shown their owners that driving can be fun as well as practical.

But there's more potential in these little cars than has been realized by their designers. A broad range of products to improve power, handling, and performance has emerged in the automotive aftermarket. With only a small investment, the MINI owner can make his or her car a marvelous performer on the track and autocross course as well as on the street. Unfortunately for most owners, the choices to upgrade the MINI are almost overwhelming and the jargon that surrounds these products and their use is confusing, at best.

This new book was written in response to this situation. It demystifies both the process of upgrading the MINI and the techniques of driving well. In a sequence of four parts, the reader is shown how to buy a MINI, make changes that it a better performer on the road, then upgrade performance and handling for autorcrossing and track days, and finally build a full-race version of the car. In each section, aftermarket components are introduced in the order that makes the most sense to upgrade the car. As each component is discussed, the technology of how the MINI works and why the new component can improve its performance is explained.

In parallel with these technical discussions, the authors introduce and explain the techniques of how to drive the MINI safely and well. In addition to standard street driving techniques, the authors discuss techniques for driving on autocross courses and race tracks, with particular attention to the unique characteristics of the front-wheel-drive MINI.

Throughout the book, color pictures and illustrations highlight points explained in the text. The authors don't assume that the reader knows anything about the mechanical side of cars, or technical driving techniques at the beginning of the book, but by the end of this book, the MINI owner will have a comprehensive grasp of these principles and a practical step-by-step recipe for taking a new MINI to whatever level of performance is appropriate to the owner's intentions for its use.

Author Gary Anderson has been publisher of British Car Magazine and more recently editor of Classic Motorsports Magazine, and his book on Austin-Healey restoration published by Motorbooks has been a best-seller among auto hobby books. He is active in vintage racing, and has raced at the Monterey Historics, as well as an award winner in national concours events. Co-author Don Racine has been racing Minis for as long as he has been owner of Mini Mania, one of the world's leading suppliers of parts for all types of Minis-almost four decades. His company is a leading developer and supplier of competition and performance parts for New MINIs, all of which are tested on Don's own new MINI race cars.