Your chance to recreate the Italian track chase scene whenever you want: Mini Cooper simulator is selling for up to £30,000
- Simulator rig is a recreation of the Mini Cooper from the popular 1960s movie
- Instead of an A-series engine under the hood, it has a powerful gaming PC
Are you a big fan of the cult classic from the sixties, The Italian track? Do you have space in your garage? And can you spend £30,000 on a glorified games console?
If the answer to all three of these questions is yes, then we have the ultimate auction lot for you.
It’s a one-of-a-kind Austin Mini Cooper simulator built to look like a replica of the blue example used in the iconic chase scene in the 1969 film starring Michael Caine.
Instead of the legendary A-series engine under the hood, this creation has a powerful gaming PC that projects scenes from the movie and also allows the user to play the latest racing simulations on a white screen placed in front of the vehicle placed.
Not your typical classic Mini auction lot: this recreation of the famous blue Mini Cooper from the 1969 film The Italian Job goes under the hammer – but it’s not what you’d expect
The unique creation is sold at an online auction by Car & Classic as an entry described as ‘The Italian Work Themed Driving Simulator’.
Built by specialist rig maker SimbiotiX and built using a 1974 Austin Mini, it is a similar visual recreation of the blue Cooper driven by actor Richard Essome who played Tony in the 1960s film. most action scenes had stunt drivers Roger Mailles and Jean Claude Bonnichon at the wheel.
The simulator retains the Mini’s original pedals, steering and gears, complemented by functioning dials on the recreated dashboard, to create an immersive experience that goes beyond the usual virtual driving systems.
The 1974 donor car cannot drive because it has no engine
Instead, under the hood is a powerful Windows gaming PC, with the vehicle converted into a simulator rig
A built-in projector beams scenes from the famous car chase from the 1960s film. Alternatively, you can control the latest PC games from the mini simulator
“Outside and inside, the immersion and authenticity are enhanced by the abundance of small details, such as fake gold in the trunk and the license plate ‘LGW 809G’, a reference to the return flight that the robbery team wanted to capture in the film,” says Car & Classic.
The machine was built by experienced specialists and features impressive technical details that make the virtual driving experience just as faithful.
A full surround sound system with soundbar and subwoofer, WindSim fan kit and two-degree moving seat combine to make driving the Mini an exciting experience.
Under the hood is not a 998cc petrol engine, but a high-end Windows gaming PC with an Nvidia RTX 3080ti GPU, water-cooled Intel i7 CPU and 32 GB of RAM. Power is provided by an 850W Gold PSU and the 1TB NVME storage provides enough space for a mix of simulation software.
To tie in with the iconic film starring Michael Caine, the simulator comes with fake gold in the boot and the license plate ‘LGW 809G’ – a reference to the return flight the heist team wanted to capture in the film.
The interior of the car has been fully restored and the controls – including the pedal box – are all original Mini parts
The plug-and-play system allows the new owner to enjoy the latest racing PC games, controlled via the steering wheel, pedals and gear lever in the Mini
Car and Classic is selling this unique item in a seven-day online auction and expects it to fetch between £25,000 and £30,000
Currently the machine uses BeamNG.drive and Assetto Corsa as the basis for the driving experiences, but the simulator is designed to be ‘plug and play’, meaning it is compatible with a range of other games and simulations.
“Whether you want to tear through the streets or through Turin, or set the pace at Goodwood, this machine offers the chance to do it from the comfort of your home,” says Car & Classic editor-in-chief Dale Vinten.
‘Not your usual type of powerful, customized Mini, this simulator showcases the variety that Car & Classic have to offer.’
A ‘great idea’ for the ultimate garage or as rental at events, Car & Classic’s Italian Job Mini Cooper S driving simulator auction is now live and runs until October 9.
The expectation is that the proceeds will be between € 25,000 and € 30,000.