Mini Cooper LBWK, Black & Orange & Yellow

The Mini Cooper that LB-Works got hold of here is the second-generation R56 hatch, the modern BMW-built car that finally gave the front-driver the chassis to back up its giant-killing reputation. Liberty Walk's treatment strips away the friendly proportions: riveted extensions pull the arches out over deep-dish wheels, the ride height drops to the sill, and the front lip and rear diffuser turn a city car into something with a stance. It is built for the owner who finds a stock hot hatch too polite and wants the Kato-era aggression that made LB-Works a name in the first place.

The retro racing dress is the point. A black body carries the orange-and-yellow Hawaiian Tropic sunburst down each flank with the white "Infinite" script and roundel number 7, a clear nod to period touring-car liveries, finished off with Bosch, Toyo and Yokohama markings, a chrome quad exhaust and meshed competition wheels. IVY renders it at 1:18 on a presentation base, capturing the rivet lines and the gloss of the paint. A small car given a very large character.