Mini Cooper S: Test drive
Its potential isn't the only thing that's huge
about the Cooper S
Sunday 12
October 2014
This car,
say its creators, is smaller than any of its direct rivals. Well, thank
goodness for that; it means it can justify the name of Mini, with its obvious
promise of smallness.
All of
which is fine if we're talking in the relative sense – but the overriding
impression of this latest Mini model is that it's enormous. Every detail seems
larger than life: the bonnet is long, there's a bit of a bustle behind the rear
wheels and the whole things seems a parody of what a Mini used to be. Nor does
that comparison apply only to an original, tiny Mini; even compared with the
first of the BMW-era cars, launched in 2001, this is a brash, coarse and rather
ugly creation.
It isn't
quite as much of a mutant as the lofty Countryman, but it is almost as large,
save in height. But then, the Countryman sells in droves, so BMW is naturally
going to extend the brand's reach as far as possible, and most of today's
buyers have forgotten all about the original, tiny Mini other than as a piece
of retro intrigue.
Pragmatically,
this five-door addresses the two main concerns of potential buyers of the
regular, recently updated, Mini: a lack of space for both rear passengers and
luggage. It achieves this by increasing rear legroom by 72mm, and adding 89mm
to the boot floor. The new rear doors are thinner than the smaller car's rear
side panels, enabling BMW to claim enough width for three passengers in the
back – though in reality no one would want to sit on the hard central seat-hump
for long.
So the
lengthened body achieves what it sets out to achieve, for which BMW charges an
extra £600. But what's it like to drive?
Compared
with the previous two BMW- era Mini generations, this one is bigger in all
dimensions and powered by a new range of engines, all turbocharged. Three
three-cylinder units are spread among the One and Cooper models, a 1.2-litre
fuelled by petrol and a pair of 1.5s, one petrol and one diesel, the latter
offered in two power levels both rated under 100g/km CO2. The top Cooper S
versions get 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engines, the petrol making 192bhp, the
diesel 170bhp and a monstrous torrent of pulling ability.
Inside,
the larger-than-life theme continues, with exaggerated dashboard and door-trim
sculpting, multi-coloured ambient lighting and a giant, circular, central
screen which has finally relinquished its role as an original-Mini-referencing
speedometer. That function is now relocated to a conventional dial pod on top
of the steering column; the central screen, meanwhile, handles the myriad
multimedia functions now vital in a car like this.
And the
drive? The "go-kart" feeling always extolled by BMW in these cars is
now formally acknowledged when you engage Sport mode, upon which a screen
message tells you this feeling will be at its maximum. Actually, it makes the
Mini hyperactive, while rendering the steering heavy at speed and the ride
choppy.
Normal mode
is best. Thus set, the car flits happily through bends with a
planted-on-the-road precision, and even with the five-door's extra length and
weight, it retains the flickable agility its looks lead you to expect. The
optional automatic gearbox is smooth and alert, and both the S and SD (diesel)
engines match crisp-edged pace with smooth quietness. To drive, these new Minis
are the best yet. I just wish they didn't look quite so much like cartoons.
Mini
Cooper S Five-door
Price: £19,255 (range from £14,350)
Engine: 1,998cc, four cylinders, 16
valves, turbocharged, 192bhp
Transmission: six-speed gearbox, front-wheel
drive
Performance: 144mph, 0-62 in 6.9sec, 47.1mpg,
CO2 136g/km
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