Highlights
- Rare Flame edition
- Believed to be 1 of 1000
- Well presented from both and interior and exterior perspective
- MOT until March 2023
- Tuned 1293cc engine
The Appeal
Paving the way for Rover to reintroduce the legendary Mini name back into the hearts and driveways of the British public, the Mini Flame, certainly had a job ahead of itself. Blending sportier trim with a far more appealing and contemporary colour scheme and the fun and dynamic driveline the mighty Mini had always been so famed for, the Flame quite literally knocked it out of the park. Saving the model from being replaced by its younger brother, the metro, and instead allowing for the revival of one of the most iconic names in the industry, Cooper.
G563 SFK, a 1990 Flame edition, is a rather special car indeed, and presents prospective buyers with a very exciting opportunity to acquire what is unquestionably a very unique Mini. With a glorious 1293cc tuned engine under the bonnet, the little flame takes the power and driving pleasure associated with the car and turns them right the way up. Presenting in impeccable condition, with some wonderful choice upgrades, this must surely be one of the most exciting and simply epic Minis on the market today.
The History and Paperwork
- First registered 07/03/1990
- Genuine factory Flame model as denoted by registration documents
- Subject to a large selection of aesthetic and performance modifications by a former owner of the car
- Accompanied by an extensive selection of invoices for both original and upgraded parts
- MOT valid until March 2023
- Correct V5 registration document present with the vehicle
The Interior
- Well presented, upgraded interior
- Leather bucket seating
- Mountney steering wheel
Neat, smart and simple, the three main factors that drew mass appeal and made the Mini the wonderful car that it was. These notions of course carried over into the interior which is why when opening the doors of this little Flame, one is presented with a marvellous, clean and simple cabin. The Mini has borne the test of time well not only from an exterior perspective, but from the inside as well, and as such, presents wonderfully.
Black upholstery governs much of the space in here, with the absolute centrepiece of the cabin having to be the great upgraded leather bucket seats for the front passengers. Well sculpted and rich in sumptuous black leather, these really transform the Mini’s interior and play into the upgraded more sporty approach that has been taken with the car’s driveline and aesthetics.
At the sides sit two well trimmed door panels, with something of a dark navy hue to them. These fit well within the cabin and come well appointed with excellent billet style handles and window winders.
The iconic Mini dash panel still sits proudly in the front of the car and presents well, distinctly lacking in wear, fading or sun damage. Nestled so well within the panel sits the wonderful Cooper style triple gauge cluster, a trademark of the Flame edition Mini, and protruding out from the panel, is a wonderful upgraded Mountney leather steering wheel, an unquestionable improvement over the factory alternative. It’s safe to say that the driver’s view while at the wheel of this Mini is a rather excellent one indeed.
Opening the rear tailgate, we find a very clean rear storage area, colour matched to the exterior red paint scheme and presenting in good, solid order.
The Exterior
- Excellent flame red paint scheme
- Subject to recent respray work
- Deep dish minilite wheels
- Upgraded LED headlights
Hailing as one of the most iconic shapes in the automotive world, the exterior of a classic Mini needs no introduction. People the world over know upon hearing of the word Mini to think of a small dinky, almost happy looking little slice of classic automobilia. Except, that when it comes to this particular Mini, that really isn't the case. Courtesy of some exquisite exterior modifications and some recent respray work, G563 SFK now presents with some serious attitude.
The unique Flame red paintwork simply gleams in the light and really does set this car off from an aesthetic perspective. Having benefited from a recent respray, the paintwork itself is of a marvellous standard and presents as such, with the same being said of the factory contrasting white roof panel.
The lashings of chrome trim that adorn the Mini are of a similarly great standard, with both front and rear bumpers, along with the iconic front grille piece having been swapped out for high quality replacements. Continuing to focus on the front end, we are presented with one of the finest exterior modifications to be found on the mighty Mini, the headlights. Gone are the rather dim and dull factory headlights, and in are a set of upgraded LED “halo” headlights. These really do look the part and are a huge improvement over the factory offering.
To really boost the Mini’s aggressive stance, all four wheel arches have been flared and widened before being sprayed in a matching flame red during the aforementioned respray. This along with the addition of four absolutely wonderful deep dish gold Minilite wheels, possibly the perfect choice for this car, work well to give the Mini a wonderful look.
The Mechanics
- Upgraded 1275cc engine bored to 1293cc
- New exhaust
- New aluminium radiator and rocker cover
The original Mini Flame, having been based off of the Mini city, found itself with a small 998cc four cylinder under the bonnet, used with economy and cheap insurance in mind, the little motor was undoubtedly a good runner, but was very much lacking in, panache and for want of a better word, power. A previous owner of the Mini must have also seen this as an issue as the car we have here now sports a rather impressive 1293cc power plant.
Originally a 1275cc four cylinder, the engine found under the bonnet of the Mini was bored out to 1293cc to give it that much needed power boost. Around the same time, an upgraded aluminium radiator and rocker cover were fitted. This combined with a new exhaust system (which simply sounds glorious), has turned the Mini into something of a weapon on the road. Raw, punchy and simply excellent to drive, G563 SFK is a far cry from the 998cc economy car it used to be.
The engine itself is in great clean order with the same being said for the rest of the car’s mechanical underpinnings. At the car’s most recent MOT, a selection of photos were taken of the underside by the current owner, these have been included in the photographic package to emphasise the general mechanical quality of the car.
Summary
This particular Mini has very much turned from a flame into a rocket. Surely one of the best Flames on the market today, and undoubtedly one of the best performing. G563 SFK is an absolutely wonderful driver with a simply excellent, aggressive stance to go along with it.
With the exterior, interior and driveline all in great standing, this is one that's ready to be enjoyed right from the first moment of ownership.
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