I always loved MINI’s little chrome rally lights, but like many others mine disintegrated into rust. I managed to find suitable and affordable replacements and installed them this weekend.

R53 MINI driving lights were an expensive dealer-added accessory that I felt really completed the look of the car. But they were real chrome, and could not stand up to daily driving and the salt in the winter. After seven years, mine had completely rusted through. The insides were completely visible from the back! Only one still worked. A replacement set still runs $450 and just turn to rust again so I started to look at other choices.

Almost all aftermarket lights are over six inches and to me just wouldn’t look right on the mini. But after some searching I found the perfect replacements. KC Hilites 456 Apollos are a perfect 4.5-inch, black plastic to match my car (and not rust), and only $83! Installation was simple: aside from having to drill off the seized old lights, the new lights bolted right on to the existing mounts and spliced into the existing wiring. Of course I rarely ever use my high beams as I’m never in the country, but my MINI just wouldn’t look right without them.