Fun, elegant and stable
Mini Cooper S convertible
When I first tested a Mini Cooper a couple of years back, I reckoned it was the most fun car there was. Not the fastest, by a long way. It didn't need to be. The combination of size, grip and handling simply made it hugely enjoyable to drive at any speed it was capable of, even fairly slowly.
The Mini Cooper S convertible is not the same thing at all. It's a lot faster. It's a lot stiffer. And, with the top down, it's more like driving a very powerful go-kart.
Some aspects are quite nostalgic. The supercharger whines at about the same pitch as the gearbox did on an original Mini. It's very cute to look at. You sit close to the ground. And on 17" wheels it bangs and handles just like a go-kart at it's best.
Of course, with 170bhp through a six-speed box it gets to 100 faster than one would image. It can get to 100 km/h in 7.4 seconds... impressive! The engine has a lovely 'linear' power delivery. No 'all or nothing' like some turbo-charged engines. The torque is there for you from very low revs in all gears, making the car easy and pleasant to drive in all conditions, including traffic.
And you can whack it round corners at the same astonishing speeds you used to be able to do in a Mini Cooper 1,293 S. Except, whereas in the old 'S' you'd be drifting slightly sideways, the new 'S' will grip a lot longer and, assuming you don't go completely crazy, there's never any fear of under-steering straight into a ditch, a tree or, worse still, an oncoming car.
This car can be worrying because of the way it handles: so much security emanates from the car that you start to get the feeling of being glued to the road and will not lose control at any speed. Needless to say, all cars have their limit and so does this Mini. I tried very hard all day but I still did not reach it.
It's quite hard work, though. The steering is very high geared and heavy, so you only have to twitch the small, thick-rimmed wheel to make a turn. It does not take much to get accustomed to the relationship between the controls and the short gearlever which changes neatly and precisely. On the other hand, the car would be much better with a DSG transmission and steering wheel button shifters - but that's me being very difficult.
Instead of just a tiny bonnet, the whole front lifts up like those fibreglass conversions you used to be able to get for original Minis. Everything underneath is easily accessible without scraping your knuckles. But they've gone and modernised the original retro dash, so the speedo and rev counter are more visible. Now the steering wheel and the circle in the centre contains the fuel gauge, boost gauge and oil and water temperature gauges, and at night, the instruments have a warm orange glow. The convertible top works brilliantly, in two stages, and all you have to do is press a button, twice.
Up, it's very solid indeed with what looks like a rollbar over your head and a solid piece behind the screen, I guess to protect against anything penetrating the canvas.
Top lowered, I just caught a beautiful spring day which was nearly as hot as our summer sunshine can get. It feels and looks nicest with all the windows down, but on a return trip from the coast I was getting a little cold, so put all the windows up without putting the roof back on - proof of very little wild turbulence inside.
I must mention those neat-looking rear passenger roll hoops. Very smart feature and very sporty looking, adding that extra touch. It must be said you can fit comfortably two other people in the back, something you cannot do in many other cabrios.
You'd have to look very hard to find a car that's more fun than this Mini Cooper S Cabrio.
At a glance • Engine: 1,598 cc, 4/in-line/4, max torque/revs 220/4000 • Compression ratio: 8.3/91-98 RON • Maximum speed: 215 km/hr • Acceleration: 0-100 km/hr in 7.4 secs • Tank capacity: 50 litres. • Best fuel consumption: 11.3 l/100 km (urban), 6.6 (extra urban), 8.30 (combined) • Dimensions: length 3,655 mm, width 1,925 mm, height 1,415 mm
The Mini Cooper S convertible is not the same thing at all. It's a lot faster. It's a lot stiffer. And, with the top down, it's more like driving a very powerful go-kart.
Some aspects are quite nostalgic. The supercharger whines at about the same pitch as the gearbox did on an original Mini. It's very cute to look at. You sit close to the ground. And on 17" wheels it bangs and handles just like a go-kart at it's best.
Of course, with 170bhp through a six-speed box it gets to 100 faster than one would image. It can get to 100 km/h in 7.4 seconds... impressive! The engine has a lovely 'linear' power delivery. No 'all or nothing' like some turbo-charged engines. The torque is there for you from very low revs in all gears, making the car easy and pleasant to drive in all conditions, including traffic.
And you can whack it round corners at the same astonishing speeds you used to be able to do in a Mini Cooper 1,293 S. Except, whereas in the old 'S' you'd be drifting slightly sideways, the new 'S' will grip a lot longer and, assuming you don't go completely crazy, there's never any fear of under-steering straight into a ditch, a tree or, worse still, an oncoming car.
This car can be worrying because of the way it handles: so much security emanates from the car that you start to get the feeling of being glued to the road and will not lose control at any speed. Needless to say, all cars have their limit and so does this Mini. I tried very hard all day but I still did not reach it.
It's quite hard work, though. The steering is very high geared and heavy, so you only have to twitch the small, thick-rimmed wheel to make a turn. It does not take much to get accustomed to the relationship between the controls and the short gearlever which changes neatly and precisely. On the other hand, the car would be much better with a DSG transmission and steering wheel button shifters - but that's me being very difficult.
Instead of just a tiny bonnet, the whole front lifts up like those fibreglass conversions you used to be able to get for original Minis. Everything underneath is easily accessible without scraping your knuckles. But they've gone and modernised the original retro dash, so the speedo and rev counter are more visible. Now the steering wheel and the circle in the centre contains the fuel gauge, boost gauge and oil and water temperature gauges, and at night, the instruments have a warm orange glow. The convertible top works brilliantly, in two stages, and all you have to do is press a button, twice.
Up, it's very solid indeed with what looks like a rollbar over your head and a solid piece behind the screen, I guess to protect against anything penetrating the canvas.
Top lowered, I just caught a beautiful spring day which was nearly as hot as our summer sunshine can get. It feels and looks nicest with all the windows down, but on a return trip from the coast I was getting a little cold, so put all the windows up without putting the roof back on - proof of very little wild turbulence inside.
I must mention those neat-looking rear passenger roll hoops. Very smart feature and very sporty looking, adding that extra touch. It must be said you can fit comfortably two other people in the back, something you cannot do in many other cabrios.
You'd have to look very hard to find a car that's more fun than this Mini Cooper S Cabrio.
At a glance • Engine: 1,598 cc, 4/in-line/4, max torque/revs 220/4000 • Compression ratio: 8.3/91-98 RON • Maximum speed: 215 km/hr • Acceleration: 0-100 km/hr in 7.4 secs • Tank capacity: 50 litres. • Best fuel consumption: 11.3 l/100 km (urban), 6.6 (extra urban), 8.30 (combined) • Dimensions: length 3,655 mm, width 1,925 mm, height 1,415 mm