2002 Twin Engine Mini Cooper

Jay Leno’s Garage shows off one of the more unusual Mini Coopers we’ve ever laid eyes on. This 2002 Mini Cooper was modified by builder Jacque Andres of Bay Bridge Bimmers and Minis to give it a second engine. The ancillary power plant has taken over what was once the car’s rear storage area. Both are original Mini engines, and each one is wedded to a full drivetrain, complete with duplicate front suspension.

Each 250 horsepower supercharged engine must be started up individually, but the car can operate with either its front or rear engine only in the event of a failure during a race. A fly-by-wire system controls throttle to both engines in perfect sync. To get the transmissions to work, Jacque simply connected all four shift cables to a single shift lever.

You can see the car’s somewhat ludicrous startup sequence, and then Jay takes it for a brief drive around 8:40 into the video.