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Mini V Imp - Popular Motoring 1974


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#16 Mite

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Posted 19 April 2021 - 06:51 PM

Found it strange the Imp was never able to standardize the 998 engine given it was said to outperform similarly sized 998 Mini Coopers in motorsport, heard tall block Imp engines were considered during development though never entered production with Paul Emery later using the work of the tall block project to develop the 1150 Imp engine.

 

Am sure a 1275 Mini Cooper S owner would have felt confident even had a 1150 Imp been produced as a full production model, yet recently discovered individuals like Ian Carter managed to push the Imp engine even further with capacities growing to 1304 as was fitted to an Imp van by one Martin Dingle, to give an 1275 Mini Cooper S owner something to worry about had Rootes been able to develop a full production tall-block 1304 engine.

 

Could previously never quite understand the Mini vs Imp comparisons over the years based on the various glaring differences, yet the potential of both cars has made me realise how the latter could have given the Mini a run for its money under better circumstances (including though not exclusively the Imp engine's latent scope for enlargement had the tall block engines been approved for production). 

 

As the A-Series engine in the Mini was itself capable of growing beyond 1275 to 1293-1380 and above, was the Imp engine similarly capable growing beyond 1304 or did the Imp unit reach its absolute limit by that point? 






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