The Woody Is Back!

By slicing the car in two behind the front seats and adding nearly 250mm to the body either side of the back wheels, the MINI's tiny rear passenger and luggage compartments have grown to become one of the class's most practical.

To capitalise on all that extra space, a sumptuous leather interior - which wouldn't look out of place in a luxury saloon - has been fitted. Two versions of the car have been made by Italian coachbuilder Castagna, which has previously been responsible for the production of remodelled Ferraris.

The more conventional of the two is simply badged the Wagon, but a 'Woody' edition has also been built, with timber trim hand-fitted to the external bodywork. However, unlike the original Mini estate, this model's wood is not a structural part of the car. It comes as a 21-piece kit which is hand-made and custom applied to the coachwork.

The overall height remains unchanged, but all four wing panels are new to give the longer car a more proportionate stance. Wheels of up to 18 inches are among the options, and you can even order retro-looking wicker trim! The final touch is to fill up all that added cargo space with a three-piece customised luggage set by designer label Pellux.

Castagna is offering an aftermarket bespoke service that allows MINI customers to bring their car - be it used or fresh out of the showroom - to approved dealers to be remodelled. The conversion isn't cheap, though, with prices from around ΂£7,000, depending on the specification, but it will be available by the autumn. Most finished cars are expected to end up costing twice as much as a basic new MINI once all the extras have been added.

While the model hasn't been officially sanctioned by BMW, the firm is sure to be watching closely to measure customers' reactions before it decides to put its own MINI estate into production. Castagna admits it has seized the opportunity while BMW waits to give its final decision.