Lot Ended
Description
Stripped out road-legal track car painted in full Martini Livery;
eminently tunable K series engine with coilover suspension and Yokohama racing
slicks; showing just 59,462 miles; MOT until July 2027; perfect base for race or
rally or to enjoy as is
The Rover 45 was the final
evolution of Rover’s long-running collaboration with Honda, retaining the proven
Honda-derived underpinnings of the Rover 400 on which it was based. Introduced
in 1999, the 45 combined this Japanese engineering heritage with Rover’s own
styling, interior and suspension tuning, along with the company’s much-loved
K-Series engines.
Offered as both a practical five-door hatchback and
four-door saloon, it provided a distinctly British alternative to the
increasingly popular Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra.
Originally manufactured in 2000 and leaving the factory as a standard
blue saloon, this little Rover 45 has since undergone a comprehensive
transformation into a purposeful and characterful track-focused machine,
offering an affordable route into track days or a potential starting point for
those looking to venture further into club motorsport.
The car has received a full makeover, being refinished in white and
finished with a striking Martini-inspired livery.
Complementing the
purposeful appearance is a functional front splitter, while a set of white
‘Hairpin’ alloy wheels are shod with Yokohama racing slicks all
round.
Inside, the cabin has been stripped back
with the emphasis firmly on weight saving, retaining the dashboard and front
seats while lightweight door cards and simplified switchgear further enhance the
motorsport feel. The result is an interior that is suitably focused without
going to the extreme of a completely stripped-out competition
car.
For added practicality, the car is
accompanied by a full set of steel wheels fitted with road-legal tyres, allowing
it to be driven to and from track days without the need for a trailer or tow
vehicle. It also benefits from a valid MOT until July 2027, making it a
particularly usable proposition.
Power is
provided by Rover’s well-respected and highly tuneable K-Series engine, while CP
Performance coilovers have been fitted to sharpen up the handling and give the
car a suitably purposeful stance. There is also considerable scope for further
development should its new owner wish to extract more performance, whether
through engine upgrades, further weight reduction or additional chassis
improvements.
With just five former keepers,
including the vendor, and showing only 59,462 miles, it appears to have started
life as a particularly well-kept example before being transformed into the
entertaining track day car presented today.
A
fun, distinctive and relatively inexpensive entry into the world of track
driving, this Rover 45 offers plenty of character and, importantly, plenty of
potential for its next owner to develop it further.
Contact -
jack.kenneally-perrin@brightwells.com