MINI Coupe Cooper S Review

The original MINI quickly became an icon, with its success spreading far from what Sir Alec Issigonis imagined when he drew the first sketch of the car on a napkin. The vehicle was not only popular thanks to its efficient space handling, but also for its agility and its charm. Thus, a car that was created to apply technical design and engineering principles, ended up as one of the most important names in the automotive history books, but not necessarily thanks to that.

This means that BMW had a huge burden on its fenders when it reinvented the MINI in 2001, but the Bavarians managed to find the “huge success” button and press it, offering a mix of retro styling and involving handling, all with an important cool factor. The “new MINI” was a hit. But what about the second generation of the modern times MINI? This had to come with something really special in order to be able to impress on the same level.

BMW’s answer was to literally think outside the box and make full use of the MINI. Thus, the range received a Countryman crossover, the Coupe that generated this test drive and the yet-to-be-launched Roadster.

While all three are important to show that MINI doesn’t rest on its laurels, the Coupe is the key element here, as it manages to bring the brand into the future and keep a balance between the Countryman’s practicality and the Roadster’s coolness at the same time. MINI expects the Coupe to account for a very small percentage of the brand’s overall sales, but the image boost brought by the model is a huge one

This is the new, new MINI and we’re here to test it in the Cooper S version, which seems to be the best choice, since the inferior ones don’t manage to deliver the same thrills and the John Cooper Works can be too tight for many buyers.

So, let’s climb aboard out optional extras-loaded test drive car and get to business the fun.

Considering the fact that we are talking about an icon, the automaker couldn’t just throw a coupe with its badge on the market and see what happens. Instead, the company tested the public’s reaction to such a product back in 2009, releasing the Mini Coupe “Concept”.

The production vehicle that followed was identical to the concept, as the public had treated the latter with a lot of attention. The styling cues are a vital asset for any MINI and the design of the Coupe shows us that MINI isn’t resting on its laurels and has dressed its core values in a contemporary shape. A shape that acts as a magnet for both men and women. Yes, this car gets a lot of attention.

The Coupe uses the standard MINI as a starting point and comes with a more raked windscreen and a different roof. While from the distance this looks stunning, as you zoom in on the car, you notice that the details that make it so original give you the feeling that you are looking at an unfinished product, especially when you’re watching the profile.

The rear is dominated by the spoiler - when this is elevated, as we are talking about an active one that can also be raised by pushing the “my ego is to big to fit inside this little car” button.

The fist three-box design MINI is a true rebel, but it’s not without a cause. We are talking about the car that takes charge when it comes to MINI’s “cool” factor, even though from a few angles, the styling can be classified as strange.

In the metamorphosis from Sir Alec Issigonis’s napkin sketch to a sports car, the MINI has traded practicality for looks. This is what everybody thinks, but it’s not 100 percent true. We’ll start with the good side: the boot. This is much larger than you’d expect and can cater to any transportation needs.

And that's not all. Because we are talking about a coupe that doesn’t pretend to have four seats and is straight about its two-person interior layout, you also have plenty of space behind you, where you can store stuff that you need quick access to. However, we can’t overlook the dark side of this story: the visibility, especially the rear one. Imagine you’re in the “Being John Malkovich” movie, only when you enter his head you discover he’s blind. This is how bad the rear visibility is. Yes. it’s nice to see that rear wing get up in the interior mirror, but that about all you can use it for.

From the windshield to the edge of the front seats, the cabin is very similar to that of the MINI Cabrio. Apart from the rear area we’ve detailed above, the other main difference comes from the roof. We have a pair of bubbles, which really work, allowing the car to come with a low profile and giving the occupants decent headroom at the same time.

In fact, this low roof line, together with the chop-top proportions of the glass area, acts as a sensation amplifier, giving you a perspective that makes everything feel dynamic. It’ the kind of feeling you usually get in a supercar and not all coupes have it. The roofliner is designed in such a way that when you invite someone that’s not necessarily an automotive connoisseur inside, you will be asked if the roof folds into the boot.

Forget the ridiculous creations Batman drives in the movies. In real life, he relies on the MINI Coupe Cooper S to move around town - the John Cooper Works is too stiff to be combined with Batman’s gear... he has kidneys too. Not only is it a good car to impress Cat Woman, but it’s also practical enough to be able to hold a tied up, captured villain in the trunk and it’s also easy to drive fast, so Robin can get behind the wheel when this is necessary.

There’s just one problem... MINI BMW won’t let you buy parking sensors for the front bumper, so the lower side of the front fascia on Bruce Wayne’s car is pretty damaged.

The car is agile and has plenty of muscle for its size, so it allows you to move swiftly around town. While the dynamics are perfect for tackling the limited space a crowded city offers, the interior space,along with the boot, are more than enough for your urban needs.

However, the Coupe Cooper S proves to bit a bit  tight for city driving. It doesn’t matter if we consider looks from the overall point of view or if we get into the details, the conclusion is the same. The suspension is a tad too rigid and doesn’t offer the multi-purpose a city vehicle needs and the engine, albeit economical for is output level, can be quite thirsty if you’re a right pedal lover. The fuel consumption isndie the city borders sits at around 22.4 mpg (10.5 L/100Km).

In fact, the entire vehicle is set in such a way that allows it to just please the driver, it would need to be able to relax a bit. If you can live with these kind of things, this car will make every trip, even a short one to the shops, a delight, but if you can’t, it will become tiring.

Ever wondered how the world feels for a little creature? You house is perceived as a huge world by a butterfly, for example. So, how does the MINI see the open road? The little Brit uses its typical attitude and jumps for joy, willing to take you further and further.

However, its powers are only enough for taking things up to around 200 km/h (124 mph). Above this speed, both the engine and the suspension feel like they’re struggling to keep up with some of your demands. As for he fuel efficiency, the car returns 29.4 mpg (8 L/100Km), but this can change by a hefty margin (in both directions) depending on how heavy your right foot is.

The in-gear acceleration is good and can be placed somewhere in the lower parts of the hot hatch record book, the brakes offer stopping matching power and a good pedal feel. As for the handling, we have to explain that the „go-kart” thing is only a cliche.

The vehicle is happy to be thrown around corners and the fact that it’s a light car with a communicative steering means that it’s happy to chance direction, but is still not as good as certain hot hatches. A limited slip differential would really help at the limit.

To put it simply, the MINI Coupe Cooper S is a driver’s car, but only up to a certain point.

The low roof line and the shape of the glass area add a hefty amount of speed to the real one in your brain. So you will enjoy the ride. However, the minimalist soundproofing, which is great inside the city as it allows you to feel alive behind the wheel, becomes bothering at the kind of speeds used on the open road.