ROAD TEST/Mini Cooper S: Right, said Andrew Hamilton to himself, let's give the Cooper S a really good seeing to. The winding up-down bog roads around Gweedore would sort it out. Choppy and turbulent it was indeed, but it was also a highly entertaining and confidence-inspiring experience.
Four weeks ago we were in the latest manifestation of new MINI, the Cooper S and now we are writing about it. It's an opportunity, then, to be thoroughly and gloriously inconsistent. What's new about the new Cooper S, you may say?
Well, it's got more performance than you are ever likely to use, covers fewer miles per gallon than you would like, has a jarring ride quality and costs €6,700 more than the base model. But anyone with the urge for sport and performance - and that's a lot of us - would fall for it hook, line and sinker and not worry too much about the €27,000 ex-works list price. The source of all the driving delight is the supercharger that has been added to a strengthened version of the standard 1.6 litre engine, necessitating a raised bonnet line and central air scoop.
Besides an engaging whistle, this installation generates 48 bhp more than the normal Cooper and a massive 40 per cent increase in torque which propels the S into another performance league altogether. A top speed of 135 mph and 0 to 62 mph acceleration in 7.4 seconds puts it firmly into hot hatchback territory.
Torque is spread widely too, with at least 80 per cent available between 2,000 and 6,500 rpm. In real terms, it makes confident overtaking a doddle: there's no real need to stir the delightfully precise, six-speed gearbox. You just press the pedal and go. Acceleration from 50 to 75 mph takes just 6.9 seconds in fourth gear and just 8.7 in fifth, which is significantly faster than the standard Cooper. Few cars of recent memory have felt so urgent and so safe at the same time, certainly none in the MINI's size.
We found that the extra vitality didn't disturb the Cooper S's handling when the going got twisty. The steering, as on lesser models, is simply delightful in its feedback and response.
Anti-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution, cornering brake control and automatic stability control with traction control (ASC+T) are fitted as standard and all work discreetly to keep the car on course, even with the daftest provocation.
It almost goes without saying that, if you buy a pocket rocket like this, ride comfort isn't a primary concern. We took the Cooper S to a most punishing environment, the bog roads around Gweedore in west Donegal. The ride was choppy and turbulent but we weren't surpised. Compensation for the harsh ride is thoroughly addictive, entertaining and confidence-inspiring performance.
Inside, the sports seats and leather-rimmed steering wheel which are optional on the regular Cooper, are standard. The S has a special finish for the plastic dashboard. It's called "alloy patina" and we think it's a mistake. It looks like aluminium that is smudgy and dirty and needs a good clean. When we mentioned it to a BMW MINI person, he quipped that it didn't show fingermarks.
As with the ride, nobody driving the Cooper S could possibly expect frugality in fuel consumption. We still managed 31mpg overall with many bouts of lively driving. The official EU combined figure isn't too dissimilar, at 33.6 mpg.
The new MINI Cooper S has few competitors. The closest in current production is probably the Renault Sport Clio 172, an equally fast but more conventional supermini which is minimally less expensive at €26,700. The Sport Clio 172 doesn't actually appear on the Renault Irish price list - it's a special order here and only a handful have been sold.
MINI from BMW has been a huge success in all markets. Nearly 400 have been sold on the Irish market since its launch while the British figure is around 26,000. It's winning acceptance too in the US, where there was no MINI tradition because it wasn't marketed there before. Buyers apparently see it as a fashion-conscious alternative to more practical small and even bigger cars.
The MINI has struck the right chord for BMW and, although the Cooper version implied racing speed, some felt that it was more show than go. Under the bright colours and funky accessories, they argued that there was a fine chassis crying out for more power than the MINI Cooper's 115 bhp.
"Wait for the Cooper S," said BMW in answer to the call for more performance. For the original Mini, the S was the hot rod, the giant killer on the race track, a three-times winner of the Monte Carlo Rally.
We certainly think BMW has given it racing and sporting respectability. If you, the buyers, are attracted to the MINI and can afford the Cooper S, it is the one to have. The MINI is a fashion statement but the Cooper S is power dressing. No doubt the driver in you will appreciate the difference.