Life & Style | Motoring
Mini Coupé Cooper S takes fun to a new level
This is the fifth model from Mini since it was relaunched in 2001 and Imran Malik feels it’s the best one yet
- By Imran Malik, wheels magazine
- Published: 00:00 December 16, 2011
- Image Credit: Stefan Lindeque/ANM
- Building a car to satisfy the demands of both sexes sounds, frankly, impossible. But this car fits the bill.
I find the purpose of concept cars to be extremely annoying. Why? It’s simple really. Carmakers unveil these futuristic looking vehicles, which momentarily snap us out of our depressed states, but they never have any intention whatsoever of putting them into production — without redesigning them from top to bottom first.
What we’re left with is a watered-down, bland version, but now with obligatory LEDs. Wow... Most manufacturers prefer to play it safe rather than do something daring or adventurous. So, why bother penning those fascinating designs and showing them to the world in the first place?
Thankfully, not all carmakers merely tease. Some also deliver. Mini should take a bow, for it certainly has delivered the goods with the new Coupé.
We all thought the world had gone mad when it unveiled the Countryman, its first ever four-wheel, four-door hatch. But, having driven it, I was blown away. Sure, it was a bit more Mini than we’ve been used to (it looks as big as a Ford Focus), but it proved capable on moderately rough terrain and retained that punchy Mini DNA that we all love. However, could the German-owned baby Brit impress me again, and so soon, with its fifth model since its 2001 reboot?
Mini for the masses
Absolutely. I mean, just look at it! The Coupé is bound to appeal to everyone from the girliest of girls looking for a cute, mall machine to testosterone-filled boy racers adamant on leaving a mark on the track.
Building a car to satisfy the demands of both sexes sounds, frankly, impossible. But, by heck, this car fits the bill. Even though this one is just the Cooper S and not the pumped-up John Cooper Works version which has 211bhp, it’s still a properly fun, fast and funky little thing. The distinctively-styled two-door follows on from the Hatchback, Cabriolet, Clubman and Countryman and is my pick of the bunch.
We first caught sight of the Coupé concept back in 2009 at the Frankfurt motor show and, thankfully, Mini saw sense and retained the cheeky looks for the production version. Whatever differences there are, they’re remarkably few and for this, it deserves a big pat on the back.
By all accounts, it was relatively easy to build as it uses the existing cab as inspiration but gains a radically new top half and lots of oily and go-faster bits that you’ll find across the entire Mini range. Because of this, it performs much like the others, meaning it is still as jaw-achingly fun as ever.
Looks wise, it’s a treat. Wearing 16in light-alloys, it stands out a mile and even though it’s tiny, it has a big personality. Peer at it from any angle and you’ll do well to hold back a large and silly grin. That’s the effect the exterior has on you. It’s totally smile-inducing, no matter how bad a day you’re having. I love the striking rear end, the low-slung silhouette and that wacky black glasshouse roof with an integrated spoiler. I even like the
kid-wearing-a-baseball-cap roof.
Granted, due to that low roofline, you need a head the size of a pea to be able to get in and out of it without knocking yourself out. But you won’t be bumping your bonce on the ceiling because the clever clogs at Mini have set the seats as low to the floor as possible while the ceiling is concaved. This makes for an engaging driving position, creating a sense of being at one with the car while it hunts down corners like a sniffer dog... Make that pup. Boasting a heavily raked windscreen and A-pillars, the Coupé is one sporty looking ride.
The rear view is impeded somewhat by the tiny window and once the spoiler pops up when you hit 80kph, providing up to 40kg of downforce, you can’t see much at all. A reversing camera would have been nice, not that parking such a tiny car is a problem. If you can’t parallel park this, then you shouldn’t be on the road. Measuring 3,734mm long, 1,683mm wide and 1,384mm high, it looks small enough to carry over your shoulders. Its microscopic proportions might trick you into thinking muscular (chubby) guys like yours truly will struggle to get in. Not so. This two-seater has plenty of room in the cabin for both you and your passenger while the standard-fitted sports seats are very comfortable. You even get three cup holders in there.
Replacing the back seat is a shelf with a clever ‘cat-flap’ type feature built in that allows you to access stuff from the boot. Speaking of which, the trunk is 120 litres bigger than that of the hatch at 290 litres and that’s thanks to the lack of rear seats. It can easily swallow two large suitcases and still has room for more and even though a cross member runs through the floor meaning it isn’t totally flat, it’s still exceptionally roomy.
It looks like a carbon copy of the hatch on the inside and it’s built just as solidly too. As you’d expect, there are plenty of retro touches in there such as the large speedo and a rev counter that tries its best to hide behind the steering wheel. It is packed with plenty of cool kit too, such as a Harman Kardon hi-fi loudspeaker system, Bluetooth mobile phone preparation and a USB audio interface. If you’re a techno geek and want more, you can spec a sat-nav system, web radio, Google local search and in-car use of Facebook and Twitter. Impressive stuff.
Featuring a 1.6-litre inline four with a twin-scroll turbocharger and petrol direct injection, this unit musters up 184bhp at 5,500rpm and has 240Nm of torque as low down as 1,600rpm. With overboost, this figure jumps up to 260Nm and that is properly good when you consider the Coupé weighs just 1,165kg. It takes off with real vigour when you stamp on the throttle while the six-speed automatic powering the front wheels is snappy and always gives you the right gear.
You can fling it around at will and this cheeky little monster keeps coming back for more. It boasts razor-sharp reflexes while the peppy motor always has power on tap, though the ride might be a bit too harsh for some. MacPherson struts at the front axle and a multi-link rear axle keep it planted while there is less torque steer in the Coupé than its siblings.
The electric power steering is crisp and offers plenty of feedback but you tend to tramline a little on rougher roads. Perhaps that is due to the short wheelbase. With a top speed of 230kph and 0-100kph over in just 6.9 seconds, the Coupé, fitted with the Dynamic Stability Control as standard, is no slouch. Best of all, it’ll sip just 5.8 litres-per-100km and emit 136 grams-per-km of CO2. There really is little to criticise about its performance, which isn’t just dynamic, it’s economical too.
Verdict
Minis have always provided drivers with a go-kart-like experience and have always been exceptionally fun to drive, but the new Coupé takes the fun factor up a notch. It’s still as engaging as ever, but now it throws in a huge dollop of excitement too.
The ‘pocket-rocket’ term was coined for this car. It’s the sportiest Mini in the range and even though the John Cooper Works version has more power and torque, it also has a much stiffer ride while the Cooper S manages to strike the right balance. It’s brilliant.
A little message to all the other carmakers out there: If you’ve got a hot concept under your belt, be brave and green-light it.
Mini did with the Coupé and we’ll all be reaping the rewards.
Specs
Model Coupé Cooper S
Engine 1.6-litre inline four
Transmission Six-speed auto, FWD
Max power 184bhp @ 5,500rpm
Max torque 240Nm @ 1,600rpm
Top speed 230kph
0-100kph 6.9sec
Price Dh160,000 (full option)
Plus Great looks, zippy performance
Minus Rear-view visibility
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