THE new Mini is already one of the hottest properties on the road, especially the range-topping Cooper S.

But if that isn't enough for Mini fans, Blandford's GT Tuning think they can do better - with a fire breathing 400bhp version.

The monster Mini is one of two Mini specials GT Tuning has recently completed and was created for a customer in Manchester.

Finished in black with silver wheels and trimmings it took two months to build and has been created specifically as a track day machine (although it is still road legal) - hence the inclusion of a racing roll cage and on-board fire extinguisher system.

Based on a 2005 Mini it gets its tarmac blistering grunt (tested to 391bhp) from a Garrett roller bearing turbocharger plus a few other modifications which increased the conversion bill to a whopping £15,000 which is almost the same amount as the rest of the car cost when new.

GT Tuning's own, appropriately liveried Electric Blue demonstrator, is a 2004 model year Mini Cooper S version which has had the original supercharger unit replaced by a new turbo conversion which more than doubles the standard engine's 163bhp to over 350bhp.

Fitting the Garrett turbo is just part of the engine modifications which also include a gas flow cylinder head, front mounted intercooler, dedicated four branch outlet manifold, equal cooling electric water pump, and uprated exhaust.

Topping it all off is a huge air filter which is the first thing you notice under the pipework packed bonnet.

To cope with the extra performance the go-faster Mini is also fitted with Bilstein suspension and significantly uprated brakes.

Externally the hot Cooper can be identified by its gleaming alloy wheels and the 341mm disc brakes fitted with 911 sourced calipers.

Inside the give-away is the racing seats and GT Tuning trimmings - oh and the real clincher is that there are no rear seats.

"Most people who come to us want to keep their cars in road condition but use them occasionally for track days, so we try and keep the engine output to a level where it is still driveable around town," explains GT Tuning managing director Roland Gardiner.

"By using a turbocharger the extra power is delivered in the mid-range which makes for just awesome acceleration."

For lesser mortals who don't want their Cooper S quite as hot, GT Tuning also offers a comprehensive range of performance kits that cost between £700 and £5,000 depending on the level of modification.