As Stuart Milne road tests the scorching supermini, Vijay Pattni rounds up the mightiest Minis in the world.

Mini John Cooper Works

Take one standard Mini. Add a sprinkling of sports suspension, a touch of turbocharger, and the magic hand of Mini’s John Cooper Works division – and you get one of the fastest Minis in the world.

The Mini John Cooper Works is a road-going model of the Mini racers which compete in the Mini Challenge Series (pictured), and features a turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine.

This means the sexy supermini can accelerate from 0-62mph in just 6.5 seconds – quicker than a Volkswagen Golf GTi – and on to a top speed of 148mph, which is just 7mph shy of the limited top speed of a BMW M5.

View more images of the new Mini John Cooper Works edition

Mini XXL

The stretch Mini XXL has six wheels, an extra set of doors, a limousine interior and even a swimming pool.

The luxurious Mini comes complete with an in-car DVD player and mini-bar. Better still, rip off the rear section of the roof and the Mini turns into a rap star’s mobile hot-tub.

Mini Dragster FTR

A hair-raising Mini adventure? You’ll definitely want this other Mini – the Dragster FTR.

Californian tuners Fireball Tim Racing (FTR) took a standard Mini Cooper S to modify for the 2005 Hot Imports Night modified car show – and ripped up the rulebook.

The result? A fire-breathing 500bhp supercharged and turbocharged drag strip monster Mini.

Sporting a lightweight carbon-fibre body and a power output equalling the mighty BMW M5 and Lamborghini Gallardo, the Mini Dragster FTR can sprint the famed quarter-mile drag strip in under 12 seconds.

Never one to underestimate the monster Mini’s supercar-humbling prowess, Tim Lawrence of FTR said: “This MINI project car will be a true David amongst Goliaths on the drag strip.”

AC Schnitzer Mini Cooper S

Hot German modifiers AC Schnitzer – famous for tuning the BMW M3 and BMW 3 Series – has turned its hand to BMW’s other baby – the storming Mini Cooper S.

AC Schnitzer has bolstered the Mini’s profile with a sculpted new bodykit with huge front and rear bumpers, a centrally-mounted twin-exhaust and lowered suspension.

But this Mini isn't all show and no go – the German tuner has honed the special edition Mini on the challenging tarmac of the world’s most famous racing circuit – the Nurburgring.

View more images of the AC Schnitzer Mini Cooper S

“Claustrophobia”

A Hyundai i10 ice cream van, a credit-crunch beating Hummer and a slammed Fiat 126 – all crazy car creations by custom modifier Andy Saunders.

The Poole-based modifier has grabbed the public’s attention with his wacky creations which including a Citroen 2CV inspired by Picasso.

And Andy caught the attention of the Guinness Book of World Records when in 1985 he built the world’s lowest car based on a Mini estate – which measures just 34.5 inches tall.