How to build the baddest mini - starting from ground zero

[fuhrius]

folks,

been an admirer of mini's for a long time...now I'm ready to jump in.
My goal is to build a very bad mini, mostly for track use, but must be street legal as well (for at least getting to and from the track). I'd also like to use the car for autocross events.

so, seeing that there are tons of used cars out there for sale, tons on parts, many great shops in my area (BRR racing seems to be the closest / most reputable)...seems the sky's the limit. this doesn't mean that there's no budget...there is...I'd like the keep the project under $25k over the long haul. preferably start with something in the $15-$20k range and improve it over time.

so where to start? an 'S' or a base car and do a motor swap?
then what?

your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[bad venge]

Start with the S the base you'll blow way too much $$$ to try to swap the electronics ect are very hard to swap ...
Next upgrade the brakes and suspension then go after the motor with any leftover $$$
Used coilovers ect are easy to find and great for track/autocross use