New 888 Corsa takes on top MINI Cooper S

Why the comparison?

This pair of hot superminis offers their potential owners the opportunity to add a bit more to the performance of the standard cars. Both the MINI and the Corsa feature some manufacturer-approved enhancements, boosting power to make them even more entertaining on the road. The MINI Cooper S gains the John Cooper Works kit, while the Corsa VXR gets a series of revisions via Vauxhall's 888 equipment. As a result you're getting something a bit different from ordinary showroom models, both cars aiming to appeal to drivers wanting a bit more fizz from their already hot hatchbacks.

How are they similar?

Naturally both feature boosted power, the MINI's output rising from 172bhp to 192bhp. It's a bit more difficult to quantify how much the Corsa's power has been boosted as it depends on how far you go with the alterations. Apparently 217bhp is the output after an engine remap, a further 15bhp or so possible if you opt for the sports exhaust. That's quite a significant difference in output between the cars, but choose either and you'll be looking at spending around the same money. How much? Don't expect any change back from £20,000.

Both follow the current zeitgeist of coming with relatively small capacity engines - in this case they're both 1.6-litres in size - with their output boosted by means of turbocharging. Both scramble to 62mph in less than six seconds, and each offers mighty performance given their diminutive proportions. The steering is crisp on both cars, the brakes also strong, while the firm suspension that gives them both excellent body control does sometimes result in a harsh ride. It's a small price to pay for the grip and handling on offer though.

How do they differ?

There's no denying that the John Cooper Works kit feels like less of an aftermarket addition than the 888 alterations to the VXR. The Corsa's bitsa approach allows you to pick and choose the pieces you want, but we doubt anyone going down this route will stop until they've ticked every box. Doing so results in a car that's hugely entertaining, but also littered with compromises. The exhaust, with its motorsport-like crackle and resonance sounds fantastic when you're out for a blast, but becomes tiresome in everyday use. The MINI on the other hand feels like a better rounded daily driver.

The Corsa counters with a more usefully sized interior, its rear seats actually habitable and the boot a decent size too. The MINI in comparison is very poorly packaged. Both will cost you a fairly sizeable chunk of money, their prices pushing them up against hot hatches in the class above. Each will entertain on the track, but of the pair the Corsa is the more manic, more focussed car, that would revel in a bit of trackday action. The MINI's driving position is far superior to the high set bucket seats in the Corsa though, while the MINI's interior also feels the better built of the pair.

So which one would we have?

That's entirely down to what sort of driving you plan on doing. The MINI is the perfect pocket rocket for fast road use that would also cope with the odd trackday if the mood took you. The VXR 888 feels more specialised in its nature, more like a track refugee. That results in a few compromises on the road. Admittedly, the 888 changes can be as extreme as you want them; you don't have to have that noisy exhaust for example. Both are hugely entertaining, and choosing one over the other really does depend on how you like your rapid hatches, and we rather liked the loony appeal of the Corsa 888 VXR.

Kyle Fortune