The CarConnection takes a look at tuning the classic and modern MINI in a recent article. Here's an excerpt:

Have a guess what the very first tuned “sport compact” was. Honda Civic, you say? Good guess, but no. Nissan 240Z? Nice try but try again. Toyota 's original Celica, perhaps? Not even close. The first compact to get the proper tuner treatment was, in fact, the original Mini Cooper, more than forty years ago. You couldn't get any more compact than the ten-foot long Mini and you couldn't get better sport credentials than John Cooper Garages. Cooper was a big name Formula One at the time – World Champions in 1959 and 1960 – and used a tuned version of the Mini engine in some of his other race cars. When F1 started to get too expensive and Cooper decided to go rallying instead, the Mini's excellent handling and John Cooper's knowledge of the engine made it a natural choice. The Austin Mini Cooper first turned a 10-inch wheel in 1961 – and with that the pocket rocket was born.

You can check out the entire article here.