FORMER apprentices at BMW Mini have helped to develop one of the most exclusive models ever built at the Cowley plant.

The new Mini Cooper John Cooper Works Challenge has a top speed of 153mph and only 100 will be built, costing their proud owners £32,000.

A small group of employees at the plant decided to try to create a Mini that was designed to excel on a racing circuit, and could also be driven on the roads.

Extensive testing was then carried out on a range of circuits throughout the UK.

Chris Fryer, 27, from Wallingford, who joined as an apprentice in 2005, said: "I got into racing soon after I joined the plant and signed up with the OX4 Racing team.

"To do my normal day job as a chassis specialist on a track-enabled car has been an amazing experience.

"Mini is renowned for its go-kart feel and that’s exactly what we wanted here.

"Having an extremely good road car as a starting point is what has made this project possible."

James Loukes, 35, project leader, joined as an apprentice in 1997.

He said: "It has been a fantastic opportunity to develop a track-focused John Cooper Works using the skills I’ve learnt through the Mini Challenge and from my background in racing.

"Opportunities to work on a car like this don’t come around every day and so I’m really proud of what we’ve managed to achieve."