MINI COOPER
Clamber around the new MINI Cooper and youll find them. Like a bottle blondes eyebrows or the ticking second hand of a knock-off Rolex watch, the small details betray the MINIs true nature. In this instance its the Germanic build quality. Depending on your viewpoint about this sort of thing, thats either a sign of the times or a sad indictment of the parlous state of the British motor industry.
Whatever mast you nail your colours to, theres no doubt the MINI Cooper is a controversial design. The first thing that strikes you is its size. Its definitely more Midi than anything else, with some proportions that look as if the designers have decided to supersize their sketches. The waistline of the car is high and the roofline is low, creating a hot-rod style cut and shut effect in profile.
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As in the old Rover-produced Mini Classic line-up, the Cooper is owner BMWs MINI flagship series, sitting above the entry-level 90bhp MINI ONE. The most expensive variant is the 163bhp supercharged Cooper S, if you overlook the 210bhp John Cooper tuned Cooper S Works model, but for this test well concentrate on the most popular model, the one fitted with the 1.6-litre four cylinder engine in 115bhp guise. Priced at £12,395 or from £14,925 in soft top form, this variant competes with rivals like Smart fortwo Cabriolet, Ford Streetka and Volkswagen Beetle for the crown of trendiest budget urban runabout.
"Did anybody really expect new MINI to be the technological and conceptual breakthrough that its predecessor was?"
It does battle against other more expensive cars too though the last thing that BMW would want is to see the MINI claim sales from its 3-Series Compact range, traditionally a very lucrative product for the Munich company. It will also have to cope with the sheer weight of public expectation. Still, did anybody really expect new MINI to be the technological and conceptual breakthrough that its predecessor was? Its extremely doubtful. The car-buying public are increasingly savvy, and while it might sound cynical, they know a marketing-led premium product when they see one.
Remember how quickly the ballyhoo died down about the new Beetle having its engine in the wrong place? People just got on and accepted it for what it was an urban style statement. The MINI Cooper has a bit more substance to back up the marketing hype. Despite its unashamedly retro appeal, the MINI has some reassuringly modern foundations. Clamber underneath and youll spot BMWs Z-axle multi-link rear suspension.
Theres a wrap-around glasshouse with glazed in side pillars featuring fully flush panes. This creates a floating-roof effect which is emphasised by the Coopers options of having the roof painted in black or white. Theres a lot of chrome around the front end, but if you want a more subtle effect, its possible to have the MINI de-chromed, swapping the brightwork around the grille and headlamps for sporty black trim. Theres even the option of having bonnet stripes painted on! The Steptronic CVT gearbox, as seen on the MG TF, is now available with steering wheel mounted paddles.
Like the original, the interior of the MINI is still somewhat cramped, and retro themes abound, from the chrome detailing to the cavernous door bins. The centrally mounted speedometer, winged MINI badging and honeycomb mesh grille on the Cooper all act as visual throwbacks to the Fifties. Other changes have a distinctly modern touch. The laughable boot of the original Mini has been replaced by a more practical hatchback arrangement.
Some rather cheap silver-painted plastics are used in the interior, as the original aluminium fittings were ditched on the grounds of cost. Other proposed touches such as the sixties-style starter button and stalk-mounted hazard lights also got the chop due to pricing concerns, showing how tight profit margins are even in this potentially lucrative market sector. Certain items are must-haves, such as airbags and ABS-equipped disc brakes all round. In certain respects, the Cooper shoots wide of the mark regarding voguish Citycars.
At a time when tall and narrow represents the state of the art, the MINI is more state of the ark unashamedly squat, with bulging rear wheelarch extensions and a raking, low roofline. Progressive or passé? You be the judge. It probably wont have escaped your attention that parent company BMW dont have a great deal of experience in producing front-wheel drive cars. In fact, their advertising seems to pour scorn on the benefits of directing power forwards. Other manufacturers have shown that producing a sweet-handling yet powerful front-wheel drive car can be something of a task.
Ask any of BMWs engineers whether this may prove to be the case and theyll chuckle, recalling the MINIs impressive achievements during testing at the Nurburgring: BMW arent renowned for creating dynamic duffers. Theres no doubt that the new MINI drives very differently to the old car though. That psychotic rollerskate appeal has been buried under the sheer weight of airbags, stereos and so on. The MINI comes laden with a great deal of historical baggage, some stubborn prejudices to overcome and a cynical British public to convince.
To succeed against these impediments, it needed to be very good. It is.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: MINI Cooper
PRICE: £12,395 - £14,925- on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 8
CO2 EMISSIONS: 163g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 125mph / 0-62mph 9.1s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 42.2mpg (combined)
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 3626/1925/1396mm
