The Brazen
One - The All-New Mini Cooper (Part 2)
Air, craft,
harrier, airy, roomy and comfy cabin has a well crafted décor and the amenities
needed for a suburban lifestyle
There are two glaring omissions in the Cooper S, though.
Firstly, the pedals aren’t finished in stainless steel with rubber grip inserts
(which is standard in the previous model), and secondly, the steering wheel
does not come with paddle-shifters. According to the local agent, the
paddle-shifters can only be had with the Sports Automatic transmission, which
is a $6k option (ouch).
Making up for the missing “sports gear”, however, is the
car’s athletic performance. The Cooper S packs more ponies under its bonnet
this time around, thanks to its new turbocharged 2-litre power plant that
produces 192bhp and 280Nm. That’s 8bhp and a significant 40Nm more than what
the turbo 1.6-litre in the previous Cooper S model musters.
MINI says that the increased output gets the Cooper S from a
standstill to 100km/h in 6.7 seconds, or half a second quicker than before. The
real surprise, however, is that the Cooper S accomplishes this in a remarkably
(and unexpectedly) refined manner. Whereas the previous model feels like an
over - exuberant puppy straining at the leash, the new Cooper S is more linear
and delivers the power in precise doses.
Classier harrier Toyota
calls this interior design aesthetic “rich simplicity”, which combines “Ginza”
glitz with a selection of “Akihabara” electronics
Part of what makes the Cooper S feel more drive able is its
enhanced electric power steering, which has been tuned to reduce torque-steer.
In the previous model, you have to grab the wheel as if you’re seizing the car
by the scruff of its neck to get it to behave. In this new model, you need to
make only minor steering corrections. It may be less entertaining to drive, but
it’s also less tiresome if you don’t have to “discipline” the car each time you
floor the accelerator.
Also less tiring is the ride quality, which is smoother and
no longer bone-jarring, so driving over pockmarked tarmac will no longer cause
you to curse, swear or make an appointment with your chiropractor.
Complementing this is the Dynamic Damper Control system, which adjusts the
dampers’ stiffness based on one of the three driving modes, which are selected
using the huge dial around the base of the gearshift lever.
The vehicle’s default setting is Mid. In this mode, the
Cooper S delivers such an ordinary drive that if it isn’t for the additional
oomph, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re driving a regular Cooper. As its
name suggests, the Green setting helps improve fuel efficiency by retarding the
drivetrain’s responsiveness and reducing the airconditioning’s throughput. To
further reduce consumption, the system also has a coasting function, which
disconnects the gearbox from the engine when the driver lifts his foot from the
throttle while the car is travelling between 50km/h and 160km/h.
New Mini Cooper S interior
To make the Cooper S come alive, you’ll need to select
Sport. In this mode, the dampers are stiffened, the throttle response is
sharpened and the exhaust produces “popping” sounds.
You’ll also discover that this hatchback has lost none of
its nimbleness, despite having a softer ride. In fact, the new car is even more
confidence - inspiring because it’s so much more stable when tucked into tight
bends. Even if you hit a bump mid-corner, it won’t “throw” the car off your
chosen line, which is something we can’t say about the older models.
What we have here is a hot “haute” hatch that belies the
MINI name because it is bigger, more refined and less quirky than before. It
has even left out equipment that should have been standard. But it’s this
willingness to bravely challenge expectations that makes the Cooper S
unconventional. And that’s exactly why this “brazen one” is a truly mighty
MINI.
