Fifteen years ago Stuart Meads, who lives in Essex, purchased a classic Mini 1000 for £500 since which time he has spent 15 years and £95,000 turning it into the fastest Mini in the world.

After thousands of hours of dedicated work by not only him but also his family and a number of mechanics the Mini 1000 is now a hot rod dragster that accelerates from a standing start faster than Lewis Hamilton in his FI car.

You had better be sitting down when you read the following statistics….

His Mini will rocket from 0 to 60mph in less than 2 seconds with that being more than half a second quicker than most Formula One cars on the track today. In fact its acceleration speed is 0.2 seconds faster than the world’s most expensive and powerful supercar –the Bugatti Veyron that costs £1.5 million and has a 1200bhp engine.

Stuart’s classic Mini 1000 may have less power than the Bugatti with “only” a 700bhp engine but its lightweight, small frame enables it to accelerate at such a dramatic rate up to 180mph requiring a parachute to help reduce its speed at the end of a race.

When the car came off the production line it was capable of achieving 85mph from its 39bhp engine.

Stuart said: “It’s been the ‘World’s Fastest Mini’ for 11 out of the past 13 years.

“The man I originally bought the car from was selling it as his son had sadly passed away racing, I think the car now is a fitting tribute to him. My wife and my sons help with the car, and my 23-year-old has been asking me if he can have it but I think the insurance might be a bit high!

“I couldn’t do it without my team and family behind me, I have to say a massive thank you to them.”

Normally the Mini 1000 takes part in straight races of a quarter of a mile completing the task in less than 10 seconds that is actually 2 seconds quicker than the time it takes a Ferrari F50.

“The Mini is street legal,” Stuart added. “I have been known to pop to Tesco’s in it!”