Thats a great story. Its funny how people really don't know the limits of their cars.
BTW- I fixed that "needs another 50HP"problem in my MINI, its called a Works kit.
Also, they really dont come alive until you hit the 4-5K RPM Range they ARE 4 Cylinder engines after all and need to be revved.
My MINI has less than 1/2 the HP of my RX-7 and weighs more but, for whatever reason its a delight to toss around. Those Mini Cooper S's have a lot of character.