
David Gandy's bespoke Mini gets a 110bhp rally engine and much brown
Whaddya make of Gandy's coachbuilt, fully bespoke British icon?
If you’re David Gandy, what do you daily? A rally-engined classic Mini restomod, of course. Specifically, this wacky little thing, built by Callum Designs in partnership with a Mini specialist called Wood and Pickett.
Power is provided by a "road/rally" spec 1.3-litre four-pot producing 110bhp, courtesy of a tweaked ECU, new cylinder heads and twin-point fuel injection. That’s mated to a five-speed manual ‘box, with further upgrades including a sportier suspension setup and vented 8.4in brakes. Probably goes like the clappers.
There's a new front grille for better cooling, a new splitter plus dandy blue light signatures. We very much approve of the extra fog lamps too, which add to the already cheeky look of the Mini.
There’s very little gap between the pronounced arches and those caved four-spoke 13in alloys, and out back, there’s that familiar upward-angled central twin-exhaust. The look is complete with an ‘Anthracite’ finish and two brown stripes running across the bonnet, roof and tailgate.
Inside, you’ll spot even more brownness. The redesigned dashboard gets a tiny screen with Apple CarPlay, plus gauges and metal bezel dials integrated within the same unit for a clean look. Meanwhile, the seats are cloaked in Bridge of Weir tan leather upholstery, with a black and white trim along the central sections.
Ian Callum said: “The Mini is one of the most important cars ever created, not just for its innovative engineering, but for what it represents culturally as a symbol of British ingenuity and style. It’s a car that broke the rules and became a global icon. To reimagine it through the lens of Callum, with Wood and Pickett’s craftsmanship, has been deeply rewarding.”
Pricing for the Callum x Wood and Pickett Mini will start from £75,000, and each example will be tailor-made for customers. Any thoughts on what the most outlandish spec would be?
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