You can experience the climactic chase of “The Italian Job” from the driver’s seat with this new simulator rig built into a 1974 Austin Mini
4 hours ago
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The world of sim racing got a big boost during the pandemic, and that’s when rich people went to work, looking for ways to transform the relatively affordable hobby into a novel way to flout their wealth.
The latest example comes from the U.K., where a whole 1974 Austin Mini was transformed into a sim rig inspired by the 1969 film “The Italian Job.” Inspired by the blue Mini from the legendary movie, it sports cages over the lights, bonnet straps, and a license plate that reads “LGW 809G,” a reference to the return flight the heist team were looking to catch during the film’s climactic chase.
A more or less complete Mini body, the car has everything you’d expect, including original seats, steering wheel, and a trunk full of gold bars. Although the dashboard has been reworked, it feels original, and is functional.
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However, under the hood, the Mini’s engine was replaced with an engine of another kind: a high-end PC. The gaming computer features an Nvidia RTX 3080ti GPU, a water-cooled Intel i7 CPU and 32GB of RAM. Appropriately enough, the power is handled by an 850w Gold PSU, and a 1 TB NVME storage system offers plenty of space for simulation software.
Currently, the system runs BeamNG.drive and Assetto Corsa as the basis for its simulation driving experience. However, it is designed to be customizable, so that owners can play any simulation they like.
“Whether you want to tear through the streets or Turin, or set the pace on track at Goodwood, this rig offers the chance to do it from the comfort of your own home”, says Car & Classic head of editorial Dale Vinten. “Not your usual type of powerful, modified Mini, this simulator demonstrates the variety Car & Classic have on offer.”
The rig is set to be auctioned off by Car & Classic, and is expected to bring in between £25,000 and £30,000 ($30,195-$36,234 USD at current exchange rates). The auction runs until October 9.
