Mini marvels

Since the day John Cooper first put his name on the Mini, the temptation to turn them into a pocket rocket has continued unabated. Of course today’s Mini is a far cry from the original game changer, but that doesn’t diminish the desire to deliver even more oomph. One company that has made something of a name doing just that is Lohen.

Established in 2004 the company has grown to become one of the UK’s acknowledged hot shops for all things Mini. Make that fast Mini. And like so many of their type they are firm believers of the old adage that racing improves the breed. So to prove that point they campaign a brace of racers as well as build cars for fellow mini racers too.

But back to the endless stream of road cars that make their way through the Lohens workshops. Extracting maximum bang per buck out of the Mini range is where Lohen excel and their work extends across the whole new Mini range from the Generation One onwards.

Remapping and specialist exhaust systems, along with suspension modifications and upgrades are all options in the Lohen armoury for customers looking for extra get up and go. To complete the tuning picture there is a full rolling road capable of handling up to 800 kW (1070hp) transient acceleration load for power runs and 500 kW (670hp) steady state continuous load for fault finding and mapping, available for private and commercial hire.

Knowing the cars as well as they do, and having a strong reputation built on that knowledge, it has enabled them to develop parts in conjunction with big name component manufacturers capable of managing the high performance models customers ask them to develop. With them extracting up to 300bhp or more, putting the power down can be something of a challenge. But Lohen’s approach has been to work with Quaife to develop their own progressively locking differential to successfully handle those power levels.

Lohen’s commitment to high standards is evident not only in the cars that leave their workshops but equally in their investment in staff. In 2016 they were awarded Recognised Employer status by the IMI (Institute of the Motor Industry) which requires that at least 50% of the entire Lohen Team are qualified for inclusion on the IMI Professional Register. Alongside their own staff’s development they also offer work experience and study assignments to School, College, and University students.

It’s the rounded business approach at Lohen that impresses from the off, together with a long standing commitment to use only the best components, which is why NGK are happy to find a home at Lohen. Along with some very hot motors.