As car journalists, it can be easy to become jaded by all of the brand-new performance cars we get to drive. But at the end of the day, cars — all cars; new cars, old cars, performance cars, and normal cars — are about how they make us feel. A lot of that feeling can come from sentimentality, especially when your car has a connection to someone close to you that isn’t around anymore. In this case, James bought a MINI because of his dad’s love for the brand. However, due to an accident that severely damaged his back, hindering his ability to walk (to put it lightly), the MINI has been neglected for some time.

Unfortunately, James can’t afford to fix it up and it has too many problems to drive. So it’s been sitting for a long time but, being that it’s part of his dad’s memory, he can’t let go of it. Fortunately for James, though, Car Throttle stepped in to help out.

The good people at Car Throttle snagged the MINI, brought it to the shop, and figured out all of its ailments. Then, step-by-step, fixed everything that was wrong with it, which wasn’t a short list. It needed a new driveshaft, a supercharger-out service, a new condenser, a new exhaust, new subframe bushings, and it was in desperate need of a detail. However, thanks to the hard work of the CT team and some very helpful other companies, the MINI looks better than it did when James bought it.

Not only does it look fantastic but it probably makes more power now thanks to a healthier supercharger, drives better thanks to a new driveshaft, and sounds better thanks to its new Milltek exhaust. Overall, James was obviously incredibly happy with the way his car turned out. It’s now back in great condition and ready for many, many more miles of fun. Hopefully James gets back on his feet soon so he can properly enjoy it.