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| Mini
Cooper S |
Broadcast
dates : 16th January 2005
20th January 2005 |
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To get a handle on what was both
wrong and right with the previous Mini Cooper S, you really
need to drive the new one.
The action is immediate from the moment you release the clutch
in first gear. Then there’s that glorious whine from the
supercharger. And the thrust from the engine is non-stop all
the way through to sixth gear.
The shortening of the first gear ratio has made an amazing
difference to the way the car pulls away and all the
intermediate ratios have also been moved closer together.
By reconfiguring the supercharger internals, power has been
raised to a hundred and-twenty-five kilowatts, and torque to
two-hundred-and-twenty Newton metres.
More than anything else, the Mini is about negotiating tight,
twisty situations. Whether it’s an underground parking lot,
a series of twisty bends, a city street or on an open road,
this is where the Cooper S is at its best.
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The test car was fitted with
gorgeous sixteen-inch alloys and run flat tyres. Of course
with a boot as small as a Mini’s, a spare wheel is not
really an option.
Aesthetically too there have been slight improvements. The
rather odd-looking rear tail-lights have been given a more
modern clear-glass look.
The front lights have also been given a new look and Xenon
headlights are optional.
The optional chrono pack instrument pod moves the speedometer
to the dual pod ahead of the driver. In non-chrono models the
speedo is still situated in the centre of the dashboard.
The Mini is still not perfect inside, with rather flimsy
indicator stalks and switchgear.
But if it’s style and sheer fun you’re after, the Mini
Cooper S takes some beating.
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Car Torque is
produced by
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