Mini Oselli review: can a tiny restomod be worth £130k? | Top Gear

If you’re anything like us here at Top Gear, you’ll be growing weary of modern cars getting faster, yes, but also bigger, blunter, fatter and more detached from the process of driving. You’re probably craving something small, raucous and chuckable, something that doesn’t need big power to make you zip along, grinning like an idiot. Well, this stripey little scamp called the Mini Remastered Oselli Edition might be just what the doctor ordered. Or is it? Top Gear Magazine’s Jack Rix had a go to find out.
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[@RAKITHA9]

For 130k I expect the engine bay lined with a gold insulation, a premium sound system and a screaming exhaust

[@basvanbeers3515]

I would also expect the brake lights to both work for that amount of money!

[@ethanchan8573]

a banging stereo

[@LHVing]

@@ethanchan8573 for me tunes

[@mrtnknrr]

And not a Merc A160 engine tuned to have the same amount of horse power as an A180 engine... At this price point I expect some proper AMG engine with 300-400 horses at least (even then it would cost twice the price of the AMG A Class with the same engine). Yes I know it would be suicidal in that car, but that car is already a death trap if you get in an accident on the highway.

[@Talynen]

For 130k I expect Project Binky TBH.

[@sirjakethebrit]

Love the idea of restoration mods. But let's be fair, there's 100k on that price tag that shouldn't be there. I had a custom built a jcw mpi built with a de-seemed body and far more custom touches than that and an fia full cage not half a cage, spent 20k on the mods. 10 grand gets a full blown mini miglia race car engine that will eat that one alive. Still, will look wonderful in someone's heated garage

[@mtnvalley9298]

"Mini Oselli review: can a tiny restomod be worth £130k?" No.

[@Carrera-gp9od]

Your 100% correct 130 grand ! They are having a laugh 😂

[@petelattimer6808]

@@Carrera-gp9od its certainly no Project Binky, thats for sure! with the work that the guys at Bad Obsession Motorsport have put into that car, id say IT would be worth closer to the £130k mark than ANY 'normal' restomod Mini could ever be!

[@Carrera-gp9od]

@@petelattimer6808 Maybe mate , but no mini could ever be worth that to me The first time I saw one of these on KZbin I had to rewind it when they said the price , I thought I must of miss heard it 😂

[@eddiewillers1]

@@petelattimer6808 Indeed, BOM-Project Binky is a ground-up rebuild, with much better running gear than anything Austin/BL came up with.

[@baabaabaa2293]

@@Carrera-gp9od maybe Hopkirks Rally Cooper? But yeah, £130k.. ludicrous! It's not even that quick (6.2secs) thats agricultural these days...There's a bloke in NZ making Mk2 Jags with modern running gear, engine, brakes etc..quicker than this... It'd be great fun to fang about in, but not for the price.

[@effervescence5664]

Thing that annoys me about this is you can get a similar spec from other places for around 50k less. Still 125bhp, ac, sat nav etc but slightly less trim and no custom tail lights. The rest of the stuff is all available online.

[@langamtimkulu6846]

Project Binky is a thousand times better......so i guess this means Binky is worth a million pounds. #ProjectBinky

[@JasonWD]

$2M in labour definitely 😂

[@situationunchanged9733]

At £10/hour it would cost £1 million just bracket fabrication...

[@zakshah3480]

I was wondering if I was the only one to think about Binky

[@jongillies4871]

That’s just the labour costs for 2020 🤣🤣🥰

[@MegaKei1]

I fully agree! Been waiting five years for the damn thing to be finished😂

[@helipeek2736]

In my time I’ve restored and moded minis for about £13 with enough left over for a bag of chips.

[@timbonfield3589]

30k would build you a completely restored car to your exact spec,

[@ethangraham6035]

maybe 40k. Classic Minis have been shooting up unfortunately

[@korczuch1881]

@@ethangraham6035 As a Mini owner. I wouldn’t say unfortunately.

[@timbonfield3589]

@@ethangraham6035 maybe if you got someone else to do absolutely everything, for me cars like that are a bit pointless give me one that's 5 to 10k and let me work on it and not be scared to drive it for fear of it getting dirty. Have owned Minis and there not rocket science to work on

[@ethangraham6035]

@@korczuch1881 Unfortunately for me. I don't have that kind of money rn. And I REALLY want a classic.

[@ethangraham6035]

@@timbonfield3589 Yes you can still find beat up examples for cheap. I was talking about Clean examples, most of which are being sold for 20k+

[@brianiswrong]

For £60k it's a collector's piece For £130k it's just a rich man's folly.

[@SMlFFY85]

The price tag bars it from getting any kind of respect.

[@ScottishTouge]

A mini for £130k? Not worth it IMO, no matter how unique

[@insertnamehere6960]

Totally I love old minis but I’d rather get a normal one and do it up a bit, maybe see how possible it is to put a modern mini engine in or a K20 or something

[@aidaaliten8817]

8

[@petelattimer6808]

unless its Project Binky. at least you would GET something SPECIAL for that kind of spend! like, at a guess, over twice (maybe 3 times) the power of this one, AWD etc

[@BenExell]

@@insertnamehere6960 Yeah you can get kits to put a k20 in. I've got a B18 in mine :)

[@insertnamehere6960]

@@BenExell That sounds hella fun, how difficult is the conversion? Was it something a decent mechanic could do on their own without a lift or was it a bit more involved?

[@porkster5924]

Let’s see, this Mini or a Porsche Cayman GT4 and lots of change 🤔🤔🤔 It’s a bloody Mini!

[@miguelmoninhas5341]

Well i already make a porsche wayyyy back from my mini jcw 😆

[@Wormweed]

No it can't be worth 130k. Insane money for a mini, or any other car of the same size. Madness.

[@fastrace14]

Nice car but not worth that, you would be better off buying a project mini and build one yourself to your taste if you had the funds.

[@philtucker1224]

I bought a really nicely modded 1963 mini with reworked wheel arches finished in racing yellow for £160 and had a lot of fun with that car for well over a year. That was back in 1971 though.

[@fee_lo5265]

Ludicrous... we got a couple of shops here in California that will restomod one for 50/60 grand and stuff anything from an original supped up engine to a V8 with 500hp into it.

[@KCJbomberFTW]

It’s literally not enough metal to make sense to me

[@henris8367]

If it normally would cost $50k then it costs $100k these days anyways lol. Covid and that

[@gmain1977]

Thats Britain for you, biggest rip off country , they do now about bang for your buck, i could buy a few muscle cars for that

[@stephentroyer3831]

Where is the V8 mounted?

[@baabaabaa2293]

@@stephentroyer3831 next to the new Bently W16 engine probably..l can't see a small block V8 fitting in the engine bay, even if they move the firewall & dash, seats back etc..you'd be sitting in the boot!

[@RobCabreraCh]

These high end restomods are just sublime. I absolutely love them, and yes, more money than sense would describe my frame of mind should I buy one. But it's all about how much personality they have!

[@jeeves_uk]

This is a 35k car maximum.

[@theyarenthere]

Out of all those cars in the other video you chose to review and you choose this?! I approve.

[@backyardengineering816]

My 1988 mini cost 3 grand a year ago, and I reckon I'd be having just as much fun driving mine as opposed to that one

[@rodrigopalazzo8595]

This is an 8 minute video. Thats how intresting the car is. There is nothing to talk about, its just a very expensive scam.

[@rych7852]

Forget the overpriced mini for a second. Last week was Top Gear Speed "Week" and we had 2 videos since then in the last 10 days! How long are TG weeks? They've got another 20 cars to get through from that preview video with Harris!

[@adamfrbs9259]

I've wanted to do a crazy hp mini for over 10 years. A street legal pure race car with a sequential 6 speed, awd, big twin scroll and a K series, just awful to daily for a normal person, but exactly what I'm after. An absolute chore to drive that is so fast and sketchy it's terrifying. 9 more months and I should finally be able to start the project.

[@chumleyk]

Remember, question headlines are almost always answered with a no.

[@philipminns3933]

Betteridge's Law

[@SmashGhost]

No, no there isn't "literally acres of leather".

[@rare6499]

The old favourite cliches

[@baabaabaa2293]

You wdnt buy real estate off this man?

[@seanek9]

You can’t charge 130k when your direct competitor is a used Twingo 133. And that won’t fog up inside!

[@ericpisch2732]

130k will buy you a 500bhp 3.5 v6 rear engined classic mini from gildred racing, I know which I would prefer

[@chrisclayton2278]

Imagine buying one at £130k then realising it's actually not been re worked and it's just a restored mini with a cheap screen in the dash. After a year you notice bubbles under the paint and then decide to sell it with offers under £30k 😂

[@brianjonesg8aso403]

It's an absolute joke especially as it retains the diabolical 1950s designed A series engine and the useless gearbox and transfer gear arrangement. There are several modern engines that would have been far more suitable, Honda for example. No doubt there are people out there who are unaware of what a lousy design the power plant really is and who will part with this kind of money. There are people who buy the Abingdon MGB for 500% more than a fully rebodied and refurbished original MGB (or 5 of them!) so anything is possible.

[@acidtechno]

An engine with no bearings is the A series. Terrible. Why not use the K 16v . 1.4.

[@GildredRacing]

We love what DB is doing, this car has a lovely color scheme and represents the Mini well. You can only expect so much out of the A series engine in a street-able Mini. Considering the A Series engine was invented in the 50s it is impressive to see it offered by DB with these figures. We have installed numerous alternatives to this drivetrain and found that upgrading to a Honda Vtec engine introduces that reliable thrill that seems to be lacking here. We would recommend driving our 500whp Super Cooper S with a mid mounted engine if we are going to lose the back seats. Just saying.

[@Westside7be]

All of the joy described in this video, I had with my 1300 carburetted british open with a stage 1 and a fancy wooden dashboard. Really no reason to spend 120000 more pounds than I did (admittedly ten years ago now)

[@daviddenley3512]

What a fabulous thing that it, possibly the nearest thing to the Original Mini Cooper S Grin I've seen!

[@carlosocatavious3363]

I've got a Suzuki alto which produces 35hp and it puts a smile on my face even though it's twice the size and not great in corners. I can't even imagine how exciting 125hp in tiny box like that would feel like.

[@kap2027]

Top Gear content online is superb 👍❤️

[@ivangamer8022]

Old Top Gear was 1000 times better. No shitty politically correct BS.

[@aidaaliten8817]

9

[@dimas44444]

Growing up, I dreamed of owning supercars and sportscars. As an adult, this is what I am dreaming at night

[@joannaatkins822]

It's worth the price from the standpoint of all the hours spent creating/machining/respraying etc. **BUT** it's not good value. You don't need to spend £130,000 on a car to feel special or be entertained, but if you **want this Mini** you aren't going to hate every second in this car. It'll be great for the people who genuinely want this car, a bespoke mini where every detail is just right, but for the rest of us we'd rather have an electric car for the city and a big brute for fun.

[@shaneducholke364]

It takes huge balls to try and make 400% profit on a car that is only fun to drive in the rain. You could build one with more power, better handling, more fun and looks just as cool for under $25k

[@tonkinesenchill4240]

It’s lovely but you cannot do enough to a mini to make it worth 130k, the price is insane. Having said that it’s very true about wanting a raucous lightweight car for the sensation of driving. I used to have a modified 2 litre turbo coupe, I’ve now got a modified 2.3 V5 Bora with full leather interior and an ungodly engine sound….the one car I truly miss is my old 1.6 Skoda Felicia, you could absolutely thrash it everywhere and it was so light.

[@martinrockport2485]

It's £100k more than it should be. It has rear reflectors off of a bicycle and a manual choke for goodness sake. Who buys these and why?

[@ThomasGillot]

This is perfection in a tiny package.

[@gurkpojken]

130k ,why not buy an old original mini Cooper SS and put the rest of the money on trackdays, originalparts and fun.

[@johnfmullett]

Did you really say, "incubate you from the modern world"? INCUBATE! I know English is a difficult language to master but...

[@ziploc2000]

I think he got stuck between insulated and isolated.

[@SMlFFY85]

I think I know what he means, not the best use of words, but if you think of a baby in an incubator and then think about how modern cars remove the hard work in getting the most out of them, you start to see what he's getting at.

[@neilmilner7074]

Preposterous price, dowdy spec, and tame power train. Even Arabs will say this is expensive

[@TheThunderwars]

Anyone who knows just a tiny bit about the A series engine know you don't get that much power so low in the rev range without force induction. Those are mini miglias' territory and they are a dog to drive, making no torque below 3k rpm and only making top end power. If this engine has 105-110 bhp, that would be about right.

[@stephencolbran4389]

It's a 1460 with steel multiweb crank, 6" rods and super short height pistons. A trick setup!

[@houseyUK]

"I saw you coming"..... A car for 'Thicko'

[@ianmaclellan7623]

Only an insane person would pay $160k for a Mini. That Mini better have been owned by a Beatle

[@994206]

This Mini has been off the road since 24th April 2023. Failed M.O.T. on exhaust emissions, a blue trail of smoke from the exhaust & brake issues, so currently Sorned. Not a great investment there then was it?

[@EvendimataE]

MINI COOPER PLEASE MAKE THE NEXT GENERATION EXACTLY LIKE THE BODY OF OLD MINI

[@petelattimer6808]

the car is called MINI. cooper is just a trim level nowadays. it has ALWAYS been the case that the car was called Mini, except America didnt get the non cooper variant so believe (wrongly) that theyre called 'mini cooper'

[@martinjb7437]

£130 and carbureted! I have a fully injected A series engine in my mini (4 port injection). Starts on the button every time no carb, completely controlled by a modern ‘ish’ ECU. You can’t make a modern mini but with an ancient ignition and fuel system. 5 speed box at 115 lbf? The only 5 speed boxes I know can only handle 85 lbf.

[@lukefarmer4239]

Please tell me what that opening song is. I've been trying to find out for 5 years!

[@richardyorke9055]

Worth a third of the price at best

[@Rust_in_Time]

Interesting that such "resto mods" have taken off, but only in the more iconic cars like the Mini, E-Type, etc at such an exorbitant price. Why are people not doing more affordable things to cars which would be useful everyday but fun at the weekend like Triumphs or Rootes Group classics?

[@pleasegrowabrain]

7 seconds to sixty for over $190K usd? Let me think about that, no! Not a chance in hell. Consider the alternatives, starting with two C8 corvettes for the same money or a C8 and a Shelby GT500 or a Challenger SRT Super Sport and any high-end pickup truck (reasonably optioned), a low mileage 2019 McLaren 570s, etc., etc. That is stupid money for a very underwhelming car. If one must have a mini Cooper, Gildred Racing builds a 500 hp, 380 lbsft version for $150K that is sub four seconds to sixty, leather trimmed, Recaro seats, Wilwood brakes, trick suspension, etc.

[@petelattimer6808]

probably doesnt retain the old school Mini driving dynamics though. people liked them in their heyday because they were FWD, cheap to run FUN cars. i dont see anything with 500hp remaining FWD

[@bradyelich2745]

2003 Pathfinder LE. 0-60 in 9 seconds uphill or downhill. Crazy for deer hunting.

[@ziploc2000]

I learnt to drive in a Mini, passed my driving test in a Mini, and there's a good reason I've never got back in one since.

[@SideshowBen206]

Nifty, but have you seen Project Binky?

[@gumbi79]

lol 130k . for that engine , damm , i can make a faster mini with a kseries bloody hell

[@garrycroft4215]

Don’t get me wrong I owned and loved two minis in the 60s however apart from the lack of sound you really can have more than that much fun in my much faster rear wheel drive BMW i3s and take home £100,000 change.

[@clicheguevara9917]

In all fairness the i3 is the supreme driving machine of this century.

[@BurtSampson]

Looks great, but that price is absolutely absurd.

[@eddienoel1149]

I love this car but hate the fin on the roof

[@sbkpeace.24]

How can they justify 130k for a mini Absolutely insanity

[@kevinwilliams1421]

There is no justification whatsoever for that price

[@TheoXydias_PerlaCoffeeTrailer]

with that kind of money as i mini mk1 owner i would have bought a k20 turbo z cars mini :D.

[@xuekahn3648]

That 0-60 is a matrix Xrs/supercharged still fwd actually has a “lotus” motor and you can pick them up for about 5k 😂 but maybe the bucket seats are nice?

[@hondansx1000]

130k for a jazz'd up Mini?? eff off...i'd rather by a semi wrecked one and send it to Swift Tuning...Also...it doesn't even look that nice

[@looped7979]

Ever heard of the k swapped minis ?

[@microulisninjaful]

Ok. I' m all in for that kind of restomods. But... What about some basic safety features? Crumpling zones, airbags etc?

[@nicholasevans4812]

You cannot engineer such things into a mini that never had them in the first place. Just got accept that you can’t have them.

[@microulisninjaful]

@@nicholasevans4812 yes, exactly! That is why I can't accept the 130k price point. The amount of engineering that goes into replicating such vehicles, even if improving their dynamics cannot justify the cost

[@mikejenkins6904]

No; you die like a real man in this one.

[@alistairthompson2750]

Same as the Alfa Romeo resto mod Harris drove on top gear great car but £250k+ insane money

[@nicolascrescimone]

Maybe with a turbo k series, awd, an 8 point roll cage and a very luxurious interior.

[@baabaabaa2293]

Yeah AWD..turbo.. vvt..injected..carbon body...it'd stick like shit to a blanket!

[@habliutfish]

Would be nice if David Brown offered their IP to Bad Obsession Motorsport to help make the Binky interior a higher level. (As a gift of course)

[@tomkatdj]

I think you’re missing the point of these things.......it’s not driving straight or gentle high speed turns. These things are home kn windy mountain roads, where power is useless and corner speed is king. Having said that I agree with the price, but there are many alternatives to build in your garage. I run a Suzuki Alto 660cc in mild rally trim, and it outruns just about anything on windy mountain roads in Japan. If there was a straight I’d have no hope, but my cornering speed is considerably higher than my AMG fat tub of gorgeous lard that it is. Driving a hour in the mountains the Alto is a good 5 minutes faster than the AMG......and the smile on your face won’t go away for some time......

[@ukrays7668]

Not my 130k 😂😂 what a joke

[@MrLundefaret]

Would rather have a more hardcore Swiftune, but it looks great!

[@RickGTI2019]

To all the naysayers out there, this is a classic man and machine kind of car. Today’s cars are more man and computer chip kind of cars. Sure it’s expensive, but what isn’t today ? Now if the steering wheel was on the left, I might be tempted ! 🇺🇸 RickGTI

[@gmain1977]

You have more money than sense at that price, so what if its right hand drive, I am from UK and have a Trans Am and we drive with wheel on the right, my left hooker makes my car more unique, you should not let that stop you.

[@BenExell]

You can buy an old mini put a modern engine in for like 10k. This is just stupid

[@treecrusher]

If this is 130k, how much is Binky worth😁

[@eyalny]

Only a British car review can be done in a heavy rain

[@rubyandme7425]

I bet Jeremy Clarkson could buy a nice mini, then park a v8 engine mostly in it, and sell it for well less then that, and still have change for a porsche........ Lol

[@kevin-l7r7p]

"Can a tiny restomod be worth £130k?", Not this one

[@davidstuart4915]

£30k would be more than enough + extra £5k for interior spec

[@philipminns3933]

Someone at Top Gear Towers needs to be placed on permanent 'literally' watch.

[@rodrigopalazzo8595]

This is the stupidest thing ive ever seen. It sounds like a broken car, the interior looks like it was redesigned with a lot of cheap aftermarket parts, and 130k. Excuse me? 130k? What do you get for that price? A paint job, leather seats, apple car play, some better looking bits and pieces, and a/c and 120 hp.

[@chadderton]

It looks well put together but they need to stop referring to it as the Mini equivalent of a Singer 911. It's not in the same league. You could buy a fully restored 1960s Cooper S AND a Z-Cars Mini for the same amount of money. Or imagine what work of art RetroPower could build you for £130K?

[@jondrizzle4554]

Nice but at least 105k too expensive!!!

[@wesleycardinal8869]

Put some proper headlights on and maybe taillights and it would look lovely.

[@final0222]

Does it worth £130K? No. Does it worth £30K? Still No. Does it worth £7K? Yes, just about.

[@salvi1398]

Nah, 30k for a restomod classic mini isn’t that outrageous. I’d 100% get this over a new Cooper S

[@final0222]

@@salvi1398 I'd say only if completely rebuilt, BUT for 7K you can get a used one and build it yourself, with at least 200hp. Either way for 130K you can get 2 new 500hp+ Mustang GT or a new McLaren 720 with 720+hp.

[@salvi1398]

@@final0222 true

[@petelattimer6808]

an original 60s Cooper in mint condition (an early one) will set you back at LEAST £40k. even a 1960s NON cooper will set you back north of £30k, last time i priced them

[@salvi1398]

@@petelattimer6808 yh, I thought as much. They are expensive but as the above comment said not 130k expensive.

[@dewdipTube]

How one can get it, this tiny cute little master.

[@aidaaliten8817]

7

[@evansisgreat]

2:31 Top great: AP Racing brakes! Mini Owners: So, stock brakes?

[@mrinal12]

You know that it's a great video when it's form Top Gear so i already gave it a like before watching the video!✨

[@franciscojosecallerua-grup8553]

I wanna drive that thing! 😍😍😍😍

[@parvezzz15]

Mr bean is back in action! 😂

[@enigmatwist6548]

Awesome but I’d like to spec my own.

[@somerandomfella]

If I had the money, i'd ask them to build one with an Audi 1.6 turbo with DCT or Honda B18 with DCT conversion.

[@Marcke-tb1hb]

“Some mug from Mayfair will buy one”....Chris Harris.

[@Kocan7]

Price is quite horrible, but a concept is brilliant, something beetween slow car fas and restomod.

[@manasamamacherie]

bro they finally posted

[@patrickbateman9887]

@2:20 I'm pretty sure they "insulate" you, not "incubate" you. THAT would be impressive.

[@ralfjones5549]

I would buy this.

[@aaaaaaaaaaa1566]

I could restore a mini for 30k and have a more powerful engine and still not crack 40k.

[@air-headedaviator1805]

This is the car that makes you say, “I’ll buy a bike instead”.

[@RaacingAce]

It looks like for £ 130k you will be given £ 100k of change.

[@acidtechno]

Why 60 on the grille , when 60 on a panel would look better . Herbie knew.