MINI COOPER S
It’s got an updated engine and more options than ever, but is this facelifted Cooper S still a solid steer?
SINCE ITS REINCARNATION AT THE start of the millennium, the threedoor Mini has fallen on the right side of the substance versus style divide. Just. The caricature styling, retro looks and liberal use of the Union flag have always remained acceptable because the cars were underpinned by quality-feeling mechanicals and a lively, energetic chassis. But as the range expanded to include SUVS and more-door hatchbacks, that trademark sprightly Mini nature became diluted.
At face value, the revised Mini Cooper S doesn’t look like it’s going to turn that trend around. Despite a new injection system and a turbo made from a different material, there’s no extra power or torque from the 2-litre engine – it still produces 189bhp and 221lb ft. The 0-62mph time of 6.8sec is the same, too.
The engine updates and other detail changes see the car’s kerb weight increase by 35kg, and the suspension has been retuned to compensate. Add into the equation the new Union Jack-style LED rear lights and the ability to add even more personalisation, and the facelifted Cooper S seems symptomatic of Mini’s drift towards superficial fancy over mechanical prowess. There is one aspect in the car’s make-up that is promising, however: a set of Pirelli P Zero tyres – rubber more suitable for a hot hatch than even the Pirelli Cinturatos of the outgoing John Cooper Works.
Running on the standard 17-inch wheels with 205/45 P Zeros, rough surfaces are nicely filtered out, even though the car feels taut and poised. This tension is maintained when you turn into a corner: there’s very little initial roll and the car responds to steering inputs with the immediacy you’d hope for from a Mini.
There are Green, Mid and Sport driving modes, but with only passive dampers (adaptive items are an option) there’s not much to separate them. Sport adds some extra weight to the steering, which in some past Minis has helped to slow your inputs so as to not overburden the chassis, but here it feels gloopy. The lighter steering in Mid suits the eager and alive Cooper S far better.
‘It responds to steering inputs with the sort of immediacy you’d hope for from a Mini’
It’s only the brakes that don’t offer the same keen response as the other controls. Initial bite isn’t strong, but it only takes one use of the pedal to acclimatise. The action is progressive and linear, allowing you to brake deep and late into corners, exaggerating the strong front-end grip. The car’s rear stays secure even with the front tyres being forced into the tarmac; there’s a frisson of excitement when the chassis is unloaded as you switch from the brakes to the throttle, but nothing that actually needs correcting. This stability allows you to drive the Cooper S hard, really pushing the car and carrying as much speed into corners as feels acceptable. It’s composed and comfortable when driven with commitment, even more so than the most recent JCW – we’re putting this down to the tyres.
Amazingly, many of these attributes remain even if you remove the roof. The Cooper S Convertible certainly feels heavier (it is, by 100kg) and a little less sprightly than the hatch, but there’s still fun to be had and it copes remarkably well when thrown around. Yes, wind noise with the roof up is prominent over 60mph, the decapitated body does quiver and shake over rough ground, and you can feel it flex, too, but add some load to the suspension and much of the body’s extraneous movements aren’t detectable anymore.
Despite the grippy rubber, the 2-litre engine’s strong low-down torque can cause traction issues as you leave a corner. However, back off the stability control (there’s an intermediate Dynamic setting) to allow a bit of slip, and manage the wheelspin with the throttle, and you can exit faster without the systems cutting engine revs and nibbling away at your progress.
The revised engine feels strong, but the noise it makes is uninspiring, and the last 1200rpm is a little laboured, making it far from memorable. The same can be said for the manual transmission, too. The lever is still too long, with a throw to match, and it feels as if it’s set too far back. There’s nothing that inhibits quick, smooth changes, though – it’s not a clunky linkage, it’s just never very satisfying to use.
You can opt for the swift and smooth seven-speed dual-clutch auto instead, but you really need to override this ’box if driving with any enthusiasm; left to its own devices it doesn’t change down until you touch the throttle out of a corner, then you have to wait for the transmission to find an appropriate gear. Thankfully, steering wheel mounted paddles are standard on UK cars.
The Cooper S isn’t as lively as some small hot hatches we’ve become used to, but like the best Minis it feels both mechanically sophisticated and playful. Even with extravagant styling and kitsch new rear lights, the Cooper S remains an example of substance over a lot of style.