Mini Reviews

The arrival of the Mini Clubman brings the back-seat freedom and luggage space that has been missing since BMW brought the 60s swinger back from the dead.The maxi new Mini is fatter in almost every area, including price, which will probably be between the existing Cooper S and convertible at $45,000 and $50,000.Running a tape over the Clubman shows it is 240mm longer, has a 160mm longer rear overhang and sits on an 80mm longer wheelbase than the Cooper.That means usable rear legroom for the first time, as well as 260 litres of luggage space with the rear seats upright or 930 litres with them folded flat.BMW believes the cult car following of the born-again Mini will be boosted by the Clubman and Clubman S, which arrive in April.The bigger Clubman will take the number of Minis to three, sharing the limelight with the Cooper and Cabrio, though the open-air model has not yet had the overhaul of the second-generation model.The Clubman shares almost everything with the Cooper, including the suspension, interiors and 1.6-litre four-cylinder normally aspirated and turbocharged engines.Visually, with its rear barn doors and long, flat roofline, it pays homage to the original 1960 Mini Traveller and Clubman .The roof, the longest of any BMW product, including the X5 four-wheel drive and 5 Series Touring wagon — has a slight hump. A 20mm high dune line along the sides extends from the windscreen pillars to the tail, finishing with an integrated rear spoiler.The Mini's designers have added a twist with the Clubdoor, effectively a rear-opening suicide door on the passenger side of the car for left-hand drive markets. But the rear-hinged door is on the wrong side for Australia, because there was no way to re-engineer the fuel filler.High-strength steel ensures the Clubman is as strong in a side impact and frontal collision as the Cooper, which means it should achieve a five-star crash rating.BMW Group head of driving dynamics Heinz Krusche says the stiff body ensures optimum performance of the steering and suspension. The MacPherson struts in the front and the Z-axle with longitudinal arms and centrally pivoted track arms at the rear have been tweaked a little from the Cooper. Front and rear roll-bar thickness and suspension rates were altered to maintain the sharp, near-neutral driving experience of its shorter-wheelbase sibling.Australian specifications and prices are yet to be set, but buyers can expect similar equipment levels to the Mini and Mini Cooper S.BMW Group Australia spokeswoman Laurissa Mirabelli expects the Clubman to make up 10 per cent of overall Mini sales locally. Two hundred are coming to Australia next year. The Clubman has the same driving fun that has made the Mini a hit.It may be 60kg heavier and 80mm longer in the wheelbase than a Mini Cooper hatch, but the Clubman is just as engaging to drive and more user-friendly.It is agile, composed and, if anything, the longer wheelbase helps smooth out the ride quality over indifferent roads. Particularly on the sportier 17-inch wheels.The turbo 1.6 on the Clubman S sings as sweetly as the Cooper and provides plenty of low-down urge and mid-range acceleration.The limited-slip differential fitted in the European evaluation cars aided performance, getting the power to the ground without spinning the front wheels.At first glance the Clubman looks the same as the Mini, but from the B-pillar back things change. Walk around the car and view it from the side and you can see how it has grown. And almost all of the added length in the wheelbase has gone into rear-seat legroom.So passengers sitting behind a driver of average height still have plenty of legroom, and the rear seat is still cosy even when the front seats are set to the rear-most setting.Even though the Clubdoor will be on the drivers side of the car in Australia, it still adds a dash of user-friendliness.The rear barn doors take some getting used to in a passenger car, but it's a small price to pay for individuality.

It lurks on the roof of the new Mini Cooper S and if it wasn’t designed by a woman, or perhaps a committee of women, I’ll eat a beach towel.Amazingly, I very nearly missed out on finding this simpering switch altogether.I had merely made a mental note to moan endlessly about the fact that the interior lighting was far too bright, and an annoying shade of blue to boot.But then I went on a stupidly long drive to the snow from Sydney, entirely in the dark. By the time I got to Goulburn I was so annoyed at being bathed in the sort of light you normally only find in tanning salons that I decided there had to be adjustment available to me.After playing with all the available – and beautifully funky feeling – toggles and buttons I found the right one, flicked it and nearly crashed the car.Far from dimming this blithering blue light, the switch merely changed it to a pinky hue I can only describe as “dawn at the beach”.Intrigued, yet revolted, I kept flicking and found that the car’s mood lighting can be changed to vermillion, purple, a Midori green, a yellow-and-brown Austin Powers kind of motif and, thankfully, orange.I say thankfully because at least the orange choice blends in with the rest of the dash lighting, although the combined effect is so bright you feel like you’re driving around in a ’70s kitchen.Of course a little bit of kitsch is to be expected when an idea like the Mini is recooked, as this one was recently, gaining a turbocharged 1.6-litre engine and exterior tweaks so subtle that they’re like the effect of ageing on Elle McPherson’s body.You know they must be there, but they’re not really noticeable, and the overall effect is still so darn pretty.The shame about this shameful mood-lighting switch (surely it would make more sense in a 7 Series, where you can stretch out a bit) is that it taints what is otherwise an excellent, and much-improved, interior.The last Cooper S had a grey plastic finish that looked like it had been set upon by a whole childcare centre full of greasy fingered little fiends. It was supposed to look like brushed aluminium, I think, but it just looked liked rushed ab-libbing by the designers.Our test vehicle was all red leather and funky fake-wood plastic, but it all felt pleasant and of BMW build quality.And the dash just might be the coolest in the whole car world.The centrally mounted speedo has an indicator arrow whizzing around the outside, like one of those old-style weighing scales you used to find outside chemists, leaving space in the middle for a groovy little screen.This screen displays functions that can be selected with a very simple but still slightly iDrive- like controller, or the satellite navigation map.On the steering binnacle in front of you is a rev counter which can, if you like, also display a digital readout of your speed.When the Mini was first launched here, they couldn’t get away with that arrangement, due to ADRs, and we were the only country in the world with the speedo stuck to the steering wheel, but this time they’ve got around it.Looking at your speed on the massive central dial is totally impractical and no one likes having that information displayed where your passenger can see it so clearly anyway, but you put up with it because, as I say, the dash just looks so cool (even in vermillion-bathed light).While the old Cooper S was supercharged, and had a wondrous whine to go with that, the new engine – shared with the PSA Peugeot-Citroen group – is an award-winning turbo unit and offers more lowdown punch and usable torque than before.You get 128kW of power at a joyous 5500rpm and 240Nm of torque from 1600rpm to 5000rpm, which blips up to 260Nm via an overboost function when you really boot it.The result is a lot more fun than 128 kilowatts should be, and a 0 to 100km/h time of 7.1 seconds.The turbo doesn’t sound as good as the engine it replaces, but the performance more than makes up for that.Not many people can engineer fun into a car as cleverly as BMW/Mini and, much like its parent company’s cars, the best thing about the new Cooper is the steering.It really is go-kart like in that it needs so little lock wound on and it responds so pointedly.The great thing about the Mini is that it can make even the boredom of the urban commute fun – the bends on and off the Anzac Bridge every day were a particular joy.The ride isn’t too bad, for a car with such a short wheelbase, until you hit an expansion joint and it feels like you’ve run over a sequoia trunk. Not only do your teeth rattle, your ribs do.In short, and sweet, form, there’s a lot to love about the new Mini Cooper S, even with its stupid interior lighting system.It is, of course, entirely impractical if you’re ever going to carry more than one friend. And it is, undeniably, very expensive for a small car – prices start at $39,900 in standard trim and rise to very nearly $50k.But it’s not meant to be a practical car, it’s mean to be a fun one and on that basis it’s worth every cent.

Mini became an icon of the 1960s with stars such as the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Twiggy driving them.It symbolised the younger generation's lust for a happy carefree life.When the BMW-owned Mini was resurrected in 2001, it retained much of its retro looks, including the happy face and cute lines, but was substantially bigger than the original.Now comes the second-generation Mini.With its retro design, there isn't much they could do to modernise the looks.Subtle tweaks here and there, but largely the same car.Cosmetic changes include a higher bonnet, higher and wider mirrors, more chrome, a higher shoulder line and new wheel designs.It's also a little bigger.Have a look at it next to other light-category cars and it stands a little wider and taller than most. It's almost in the small car category.However, with its minute boot, this is a happy little city car for four very close young people who don't mind a few quirks.After a week of living with a Mini Cooper, I found the quirks a little difficult to overcome for this 50-year-old humbug.Quirks such as having to jam my hand down between the armrest and seat to adjust the driver's seat back.Quirks such as having to look at the speedo in the centre stack, instead of right in front of me. (There is a small digital speed format on the screen in front of the driver, but it is difficult to see in some light conditions.)Quirks such as the unlocking switch which toggles both ways and alternately locks and unlocks the door. (I could never get it right as my youngest daughter tried to open the door when I picked her up from school.)Quirks such as a panoramic sunroof that stretches all the way from front to back and can't be closed. Only a “fly” screen of gauze kept my bald pate from the sun, and in summer it will be like a tandoori oven.And quirks such as the difficulty of applying the handbrake because the arm rest is in the way.There is no denying this car tries to be different. You either love it or hate it.Just look at the circular design of the door trim. And how about that relocated school-clock-sized speedo?Apart from the speedo relocation, other internal changes include new instruments and centre stack, a steering wheel that is thankfully now reach as well as height adjustable, more aircraft-style toggle switches up by the interior light and a start/stop button on the dashboard.Women will also love the interior lights which can be changed from blue through orange, pink, and red by flicking the switch.For all these changes, the price has increased $1110 to $31,100.The five-speed manual has been replaced by a slick-shifting six-speed manual, but I had the six-speed auto with steering wheel paddle shifters.It's an additional $2200, whereas previously it was an extra $2110 for the CVT.I found the auto did some crazy things.It was trying to out-think me and consequently couldn't be trusted to pick the right gear; or was it me that couldn't be trusted to drive in a sensible and non-erratic manner?If you allow it to do its own thing, it can be annoying, but if you use the paddle shifters, it rewards with rapid-fire Formula One-style shifting.One thing I couldn't fault was the famous go-kart handling.Yes, it does go round corners like a train. A train with torque steer.Go-kart handling goes hand in hand with go-kart ride characteristics and this one is no different. I hit one pothole on the inner-city bypass that I thought may have dislodged the whole wheel. At least it happened near my chiropractor's office.The engine feels a little asthmatic and could benefit from an aftermarket breather.However, according to the figures, power is up 3kW to 88kW at 6000rpm. That's not a discernible difference to anyone but maybe Formula One champion Fernando Alonso.Torque is supposed to be 140Nm from 2000rpm with a peak of 160Nm at 4250rpm, which is up 10Nm. Yet someone didn't tell the automatic box about these figures as it fished around for gears.This new all-aluminium engine is a joint development by BMW and Peugeot, proving that the French and the Germans can work together.Not only does the car produce more power and torque, but Mini claims a 16 per cent improvement in fuel economy at 5.8litres/100km.Owing to my game of hide and seek with the gears, that blew out to over 7litres/100km.   Mini Cooper$31,100Engine: 1598cc, 16-valve, in-line 4-cylinderPower: 88kW @ 6000rpmTorque: 160Nm @ 4250rpmAcceleration: 0-100km/h in 9.1secTransmission: 6-speed automaticEconomy: 5.8L/100kmFuel: 91RON ULP, 40L tankDimensions (MM): 3699 (l), 1683 (w), 1407 (h), 2467 (wheelbase), 139 (ground clearance)Suspension: single-joint MacPherson strut with anti-dive (front), longitudinal struts with centrally-pivoted control arms, Z-axle (rear)Brakes: 280mm front vented disc, 259mm rear, ABS, electronic brakeforce distribution, cornering brake control and brake assistDriver Aids: stability and traction control, optional dynamic stability control with hill start assistSteering: electric power assistedCO2 Emissions: 139g/km, EU4 

Based on the cold, hard facts before us, forking out more than $50,000 for a Mini would be a ludicrous act. Mad. Wasteful.Unimaginable considering the costs involved, size of the car and unremarkable set of numbers that come out from under the bonnet.But after a wonderful drive in the all-new, 'all-BMW' Mini Cooper S, we've a dilemma.When we rationalise the decision, and recall the fabulous moments we've had in cheaper and faster hot hatches, this R56-series Mini misses the mark. If we're honest with ourselves, however, the raw data tends to take a back seat to feelings that linger long after we hand the car back. This is hard to explain.It has nothing to do with nostalgia — this writer has more emotion invested in Coopers beer than Cooper cars — but relates to the warm, comfortable and familiar feeling we'd get whenever we looked at the Mini, whenever we sat inside the whimsical cabin, and whenever we thrashed the little turbo to hear its sweet, smooth revs and its exhaust pop like a penny banger.To some extent its also about the trust we have in BMW to build a safe and solid car, but which in this case has a fun and immature character that the German maker would never dare emulate with cars under its own label.It is reassuring to know the Mini has achieved a five-star Euro NCAP crash-test result, has six airbags, has the latest ABS brakes (with electronic brake-force distribution, brake assist and cornering brake control), that cabin fit-and-finish is first-rate and attention to detail, in most respects, is outstanding.Further vindication came recently when the 1.6-litre turbocharged engine won its class at the renowned International Engine of the Year Awards. Built in collaboration with PSA Peugeot-Citroen, the lightweight aluminium engine features a twin-scroll turbo, direct petrol injection and infinite variable valve timing. It does not have the emotive whine of the previous (Chrysler-sourced) supercharged engine, and has none of the burble and crackle that arose on the overrun, but more than makes amends with its extra smoothness and strength, lower emissions and consumption.The figures themselves are moderate for a three-door hatch priced from $39,900 in standard Cooper S form, rising to $43,500 in Chilli trim and $49,260 as tested here (without on-road costs).The engine produces 128kW of power at 5500rpm and 240Nm of torque from 1600rpm to 5000rpm, with the latter increasing to 260Nm via an overboost function when given a full dose of the accelerator.The result is 0-100km/h in 7.1 seconds and fuel consumption of 6.9l/00km (according to a theoretical test). Our real-world average of 9.4l/100km was nowhere near the latter, but wasn't bad considering the manner in which the Cooper S encourages the driver to explore its boundaries.As was the case with the previous generation, sheer performance is less critical in the front-drive Cooper S than the all-round amusement it provides.The engine is flexible, delivers its power in linear fashion, reveals a forceful nature when revved hard toward its 6500rpm redline and, above all, creates the basis for the fun-filled drive. But no test drive around the block from a showroom will do. It took our favourite winding roads for the Cooper S — which was optioned to the hilt with sports suspension (no cost), a limited-slip differential ($280) and DSC traction electronics ($840) — to deliver the taut, engrossing drive that has, in part, created the dilemma over its net worth.There is some torque-steer when powering out of corners, some chirping from the low-profile (205/45) 17-inch Dunlops when shifting from first to second under hard acceleration.But these add to the experience rather than detract as the Cooper S remains fastened to the road, shows excellent balance and poise and steers with tremendous precision.The firm and unforgiving suspension can be tiresome over a long distances, thumping across road reflectors, bridge seals and broken bitumen, while the run-flat tyres — which, like it or not, negate the need for a spare wheel — roar across coarse bluestone and gravel surfaces. But there is little room for criticism in the driving department.Inside, the cabin is even more idiosyncratic with new features such a monumental dinner plate (20cm diameter) speedometer in the centre of the dashboard, along with single-zone climate controls in the form of the Mini motif and, in the roof lining, a second row of toggle switches for functions such as mood lighting when the large optional sunroof ($1840) or a lights package is specified.There are some problems. Despite its size, the speedo is hard to read at a glance and forces the driver to program a digital speedo on the small LCD screen inside the tachometer, the latter continuing as a large (10cm diameter) gauge glued to the steering column.The trip computer and audio controls on the bottom third of the speedo are far from intuitive. The climate controls further down the centre stack make it easy to send the fan whirring at full-pelt when intending to block out fumes with the air recirculation button.Set inside the speedo, the fuel gauge's “windmill blade” design forces the driver to refer to one of three other screens for a more accurate reading. There are no coolant or oil temperature gauges. No variable intermittent wipers. No lock on the glovebox. And nowhere near enough attention paid to storage, although the back seat tends to be used as part of the load space given the severe shortage of space there.Despite the four-seater Cooper being about 60mm longer than the previous R50 version, there is no rear-seat legroom to speak of if the driver is taller than, say, 6ft (1.83m).But this is a self-indulgent vehicle. It shows that no compromises were made in driver's seat travel, and the driving position as a whole.The aluminium-faced pedals are better placed than before, the thick-rimmed three-spoke steering wheel has buttons for cruise control, telephone and basic audio functions (for the Chilli's thumping 10-speaker stereo), and the ignition fires via a start button.Electric seat adjustment is nowhere to be seen, even with optional full-leather trim ($1460) and electric seat warmers ($490) onboard. But a full range of (effortless) manual adjustment is provided and the bolstering under the ribcage and thighs holds the driver tight.Luggage space is small. The distance to the upright seatbacks is a mere 38cm, floor width 92cm and height to the parcel shelf 50cm, although metre-long objects can be stuffed in when the 50/50-split seatbacks are folded. There is no fold and tumble action for the rear seats to maximise cargo room.We have to remind ourselves that this is a Mini. This might be an all-new version, with no shared panels with its predecessor, but BMW hasn't dared mess with a successful formula. Second OpinionMichael Strachan, 31Occupation: Recruitment consultantLocation: Hoppers Crossing, VicNew car: Mini Cooper S ChilliPrevious car: Falcon XR6 utilityOther cars considered: Renault Sport Megane 225 Cup A previous-generation Mini Cooper owner, Michael Strachan almost bought the Renault Sport Megane.But this time around he went the whole hog with a Cooper S in Chilli trim and a host of extras."The Megane turbo is a fantastic car but it still doesn't have the drive or just the appeal of the Minis," he says. "There's no other car on the road that has the smile factor of the Mini. There're also little things, like with the turbo Megane you can't get it with a sunroof — whereas you can get anything you want in a Mini, and that comes a lot into it."The ride is probably the most improved over my previous Mini. It's a lot more pliable — there's a little bit more bodyroll through corners taken with great speed, which I occasionally do, but for day-to-day driving it's much more pleasant."I find a bit of torque steer (when) accelerating hard but on the whole it's something you learn to just ease on the throttle a little. I've taken it on some spirited runs with other Minis, and it runs fantastic."Anyone who buys a Mini does it as a selfish purchase."You buy the car for yourself — you don't buy it for lugging a family around." Verdict Plus: Unmistakable design. Fascinating interior. Terrific handling.Minus: Engine's aural qualities toned down. Cramped back seat. No spare wheel. How it measures upMini Cooper S ChilliComment: Mini enters a new era with this 'R56' series. Turbo is less emotive, but the drive still fascinates. Fabulous handling, steering, braking. The run-flat tyres can be harsh. Unique, but expensive. Gatecrasher ... Peugeot 207 GTi with same engine here in August.Price: $43,500Warranty: 3 years/Unlimited kmEngine: 1.6-litre turbocharged fourPower/Torque: 128kW/240NmTransmission: Front-drive, six-speed manual (six-speed automatic $2200)Seats/Weight: Four/1130kgFuel tank/type: 50 litres/premium unleadedLitres/100km: 6.9 city/highway combined0-100km/h: 7.1 secondsTurning circle: 10.7mAirbags/ESC: Six/Yes Ratings Value: * * * 1/2Performance: * * * *Overall: * * * 1/2 Volkswagen Golf GTI 3 doorComment: Mini diehards will call GTI boring, bland. Less garrulous and fewer gimmicks, but GTI is not without heritage. This incarnation offers a rich blend of performance and handling. Great all-rounder. If only ... new GTI concept has a 477kW W12 engine!Price: $38,490Warranty: 3 years/100,000kmEngine: 2.0-litre turbocharged fourPower/Torque: 147kW/280NmTransmission: Front-drive, six-speed manual (six-speed DSG auto $2300)Seats/Weight: Five/1340kgFuel tank/type: 55 litres/premium unleadedLitres/100km: 8.1 city/highway combined0-100km/h: 7.2 secondsTurning circle: Turning circle: 10.9mAirbags/ESC: Six/Yes Ratings Value: * * * *Performance: * * * *Overall: * * * * Ford Focus XR5 TurboComment: Not a "hot four" with its 2.5-litre inline-five turbo, but XR5's Volvo-sourced engine is a ripsnorter. Handling, sharp steering and powerful braking are also along for the drive. No cruise control a sore point. Low heat ... 110kW 2.0-litre Fiesta XR4 on sale at $24,990.Price: $36,490Warranty: 3 years/100,000kmEngine: 2.5-litre turbocharged fivePower/Torque: 166kW/320NmTransmission: Front-drive, six-speed manual onlySeats/Weight: Five/1442kgFuel tank/type: 55 litres/premium unleadedLitres/100km: 9.3 city/highway combined0-100km/h: 6.8 secondsTurning circle: 11.7mAirbags/ESC: Six/Yes RatingsValue: * * * 1/2Performance: * * * *Overall: * * * * Renault Sport Megane 225 3 doorComment: Note HSV's Astra VXR and Honda's Civic Type-R. But hot Megane leaves its mark. Impresses in most areas. On 5dr for $44,490 you get stiffer suspension, fatter tyres, drilled disc brakes. Look again ... even hotter Megane 228 F1 R26 due late August.Price: $37,990Warranty: 3 years/100,000kmEngine: 2.0-litre turbocharged fourPower/Torque: 165kW/300NmTransmission: Front-wheel drive, six-speed manual onlySeats/Weight: Five/1325kgFuel tank/type: 60 litres/premium unleadedLitres/100km: 8.8 combined0-100km/h: 6.5 secondsTurning circle: 10.5mAirbags/ESC: Six/Yes Ratings Value: * * * 1/2Performance: * * * *Overall: * * * 1/2 

Nothing so neatly sums up the drab conformity of the industrial age as Henry Ford's grim quip about his Model T: “Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants so long as it's black.”No single mode of affordable personal mobility offers such a sharp riposte as the R56 Mini range.So bewilderingly varied are the number of exterior and interior trim combinations of the second-generation New Mini (or the new New Mini, if you must), you'd need Einstein or Tesla to make sense of it.The Mini people posit a figure of 15,000,000,000,000,000 — and that's before you start tooling about under the hood with added (additional added?) extras such as the John Cooper Works kit.I copied this number (at least that's what I assume it is) into a notepad while being shown through the Mini plant at Oxford last year. From time to time, I take it out and just sort of stare at it.Yet, on the evidence of the Mini Cooper S now in our hands, it may even be true.This so-called Exclusive model is an early-build show car with 17 optional features, thrusting the base $39,000 asking price to $55,255.Before you delve into this list — which includes a glass roof and joystick-operated satnav — you'll need to choose exterior and interior colour and trim.These in themselves comprise a combination of choices barely graspable. Ours just happens to be of a fairly conventional silver hue — sans racing stripes or Union Jacks — with deep tan leather trim and accents.Which is nice, if only because someone with greater powers of clarity than us has already made the tough decisions, thus saving months of poring over catalogues or online configurators in agonised indecision. It's not so much a burden of choice as a life-sapping crush.Yet the great majority of Mini punters opt for bespokedness of some degree, ensuring almost every Mini you see will have an individuality as distinct as DNA.When the buyer finally gets around to inserting the orb-shaped “key” in the dash and pressing the starter button, they should come to appreciate a drive that's a marginal, but marked, improvement over the previous model.That's down almost entirely to the direct-injection, 1.6-litre four with twin-scroll turbocharger. With a maximum 128kW, this develops a barely discernible 3kW more than the previous supercharged unit, but packs a much more immediately usable 240Nm.An increase of 20Nm over the Gen One, this can be shoved up to 260Nm via the overboost function, enhancing an already bulging torque curve that kicks in at 1600rpm and stays on line until five grand.As though to prove Mini buyers are interested in blowers other than those wielded by their hair stylists, some have touchingly, if unrealistically, demanded the restoration of the supercharger. Well may they whine, because the new engine doesn't.The official 0-100km/h sprint figure is 7.1 seconds, though in something so compact — less than 3m long and barely 1.1 tonnes — the rush is more visceral than numbers convey.When it comes to getting around corners slickly, you'd expect something a bit special — and the Cooper S (almost) delivers.A turn-in that's sabre-sharp is slightly denuded by the electro-mechanical steering's rather remote feel, though in most circumstances it serves perfectly well.Run-flat tyres can cause rollerskate skittering where less rigid sidewalls won't, but the Coop's suspension set-up, seemingly more compliant than before, is well up to most dynamic demands.A six-speed manual, geared slightly too tall in BMW fashion, is the only transmission choice. Accessed easily from an upright, well-supported driving position, it also resembles the parent company's sticks in its ease of action.A more pronounced gate between reverse and first wouldn't hurt. It could conceivably prevent a bit of pain.Things such as these remind you that the Mini is essentially a compact, front-wheel-drive BMW. Except that unlike the utterly ubiquitous conformism of a silver 1 Series, a bespoke Mini will shout “Me!” Fast factsMini Cooper SOn sale: NowPrice: From $39,000 plus endless optionsBody: HatchEngine: 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbo petrol, 128kW, 240-260NmTransmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel drivePerformance: 0-100km/h in 7.1 seconds (claim)Fuel: 6.9 litres per 100km (combined claim)Safety: Includes ABS, Brake Assist, Cornering Brake Control, stability control plus traction, brake assist, six airbags

It's the all new Mini, looking only slightly different to its most recent predecessor, but hiding new machinery at its heart. The new Mini Cooper S won't arrive in Australia until the first half of next year and while pricing hasn't been released, it is expected to have a "modest increase" over the current generation, which starts at $39,990 for the Cooper S manual. But the anticipated price rise can be explained through some significant changes.The new version of the car will have a BMW Group 1.6-litre turbocharged, four-cylinder engine, produced at Hams Hall plant in England. The current supercharged engine, produced in Brazil, came out of an arrangement the BMW Group had with Chrysler.This means its previous supercharged growl has disappeared. But not to fret, the new turbo still impresses.The second generation produces slightly more power with 128kW at 5500rpm and 240Nm at a low 1600rpm to 5000rpm with an overboost lifting the reading to 260Nm. The current model delivers 125kW and 220Nm.While a new version of the Mini Cooper will also be a part of the line-up, the Cooper S was the only model tested on the launch.The winding roads and motorways of Spain were a great setting to push the new Mini Cooper S to its limits. It handled well around narrow, tight corners, gripping the road comfortably, with its low centre of gravity and go-kart like performance.The steering and ride was stronger on the model fitted with sports suspension.Although this doesn't come as standard, the difference can be felt with a more sturdy drive, while the lower profile and bigger tyres also contribute to the improvement.With an ever so slight lag, the Cooper S officially shoots from 0 to 100km/h in 7.1seconds. The new Mini is slightly longer in dimensions, although you can't really tell by looking at it. The extra space provides more room in the engine bay, which has also been adjusted to accommodate future pedestrian safety standards, with more room between the body and the engine.On the outside, the new front radiator grille is now one complete unit and changes have been made to the front lights. The front end has also been given a more masculine look, with the engine compartment lid curving up.The rear and the shoulders are more powerful and sportier in design and changes to the exterior are topped off with chrome insignias.The inside feels much roomier, especially for the front passenger who enjoys considerable leg room for such a small car.Even the space in the back seems to be a little more generous than before, although long trips would still be a challenge for most adult passengers.An unusual feature on this car, boasted by the BMW Group as the only premium small car in the world, is the very large speedometer which sits on the middle of the dash. This was a feature on the previous model overseas but was changed for the Australian market to meet ADR (design rule) requirements.But as these have now merged with European regulations, Australia's new Mini will also feature this large speedometer, bigger than the previous European model to allow extra room for an optional satellite navigation system.While you can appreciate the nostalgia of mirroring the location of the speedometer from the original Mini, you do find yourself forgetting to keep an eye on your speed, as well as the fact that lead-foots will be quickly caught out by everyone else in the car.Sitting a great distance from the tachometer, it also takes some of the fun away from monitoring the speed and revs at the same time. Needless to say, it's not the most practical of locations.The dashboard styling has changed and buttons for the stereo and airconditioning are very straightforward and easy to use. The new seats also make a difference, holding your body firmly in place.The six-speed manual transmission took some getting used to, as it's a little rough in shifting and reverse was particularly hard to find at first. Fuel consumption on the new Mini comes in at a claimed 6.9-litres per 100km.The new Mini is not short on safety features. Six airbags, ABS, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Cornering Brake Control and Automatic Stability Control and Traction are all standard on the Cooper S.The Mini was particularly a good vehicle to trial as a left-hand drive, as well as driving on what is ultimately the wrong side of the road for an Aussie girl. Apart from grabbing the driver's door to change gears a couple of times, the experience was smooth sailing.The Cooper S is a great little agile performer and there's a lot of fun to be had in the driver's seat, pumping the accelerator and letting your hair down.As mentioned, the new generation will also include the Cooper, with a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder engine, with 88kW at 6000rpm and 160Nm at 4250rpm. It has a claimed fuel consumption of 5.8-litres per 100km.The current generation of the Mini will be manufactured until December and the Cabrio will not be updated either.

But times have changed. The new generation of BMW-developed Minis were developed as prestige models - often the second car for a family who owns a bigger Beemer.The agile new Mini Cooper and Cooper S arrived in 2002 and have sold strongly.We have already seen the faster Works specials, but Mini is adding to the appeal with two new special models, Checkmate and Park Lane.These are effectively trim and equipment packs available on Cooper and Cooper S models and cost an extra $4600.That means a manual Cooper with either pack costs $34,500 and a supercharged Cooper S with either pack $43,500.The Checkmate adds special 17-inch alloy wheels, firmer suspension, sports seats, unique checkmate livery, bonnet stripes, unique interior trim and a sunroof.The Park Lane is all about luxury. It has grey leather seats and a two-tone leather-wrapped steering wheel.Available only in grey, the posh Mini adds climate control airconditioning, extra chrome touches inside and out, Harman/Kardon premium CD sound and 16-inch alloy wheels with run-flat tyres.There is nothing revolutionary about the new Mini additions, but their arrival gives us an excuse to go for a spin in the fun little model - we pick the Cooper S Park Lane.For those who might have missed it, the Cooper S has a supercharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine with 125kW and 220Nm and is front-wheel drive.It is 1215kg, which helps it do 0-100km/h in 7.2 seconds.This isn't lightning pace, but straight-line speed is not what the Mini is about. This car is about agility.An early morning run along the Great Ocean Rd confirms how much fun you can have in the Cooper S.The hatch is at home on the slippery wet, twisting tarmac. It is great fun to wind up the small engine and tip the Cooper S into the turns.With the supercharger whining away as it spins up, the Cooper S makes it feel like you are going faster than you really are.The standard Cooper engine is an ancient four-cylinder with a single overhead camshaft (rather than two) which means it is bit of a slug, but the boosted Cooper S engine is great. The extra torque of the supercharger is the big difference and means you can leave it in third for most of the bends. Its exhaust also emits a snap and crackle when you back off the throttle and let the engine slow - a nice touch.The front-wheel-drive Cooper S has excellent traction, even on greasy wet tarmac.Even with a supercharger bolted on, there isn't a mass of power surging to the driven wheels, so you can easily feed in the power as you exit turns.The six-speed manual does the job, but is a bit cumbersome. You really have to thrust the lever sideways and forward with a lot of force to select reverse and it is easy to get first gear instead.The ride in the Cooper S Park Lane is firm - expect to get bumped around a fair bit on uneven roads.It doesn't really spoil the drive, but is out of step with Mini's own description of the car as a "VIP lounge on wheels".The Mini has four seats, but only the front two have any reasonable legroom. Small children would be OK in the back, but larger passengers would find it a squeeze.The Park Lane's premium sound system is awesome, the speakers look cool. Boot space is limited, but you can fit in a few bags of shopping.What it lacks in practicality, the Cooper S makes up for in charm.It really is one of the most popular cars we have tested and makes a lot of people smile.

It is a car with charisma. A car that makes the occupants feel like they are the centre of motoring attention.Unfortunately, however, other motorists weren't the only ones paying attention.The scumbag with the knife did more than look – he (or she) decided to enact every soft-top owner's nightmare and cut the roof open. Not that it was worth their while ... the only thing in the car was the owner's manual, which they elected not to steal.But the sheer embarrassment of having to return a damaged car slightly dampened the enthusiasm I felt towards the zippy black Mini. (The price tag may have been the only other subduing element.)Earlier in the week – along with a couple of girlfriends – I discovered a few important points of the Mini on a trip to the Barossa Valley.The weather was perfect, the leather upholstery divine and the stereo pumping.The first issue which became apparent was the squeezy leg room in the back seat. The front-seat passengers have ample leg and head room, but I would recommend only short-legged passengers such as small children attempt to spend too much time in the back.With the roof rolled back, the modern Mini showed it was comfortable on the road – and as we passed an example of the vintage original, it became apparent how much larger and chunkier the new version really is.The emphasis on visual design is evident throughout the interior and the Mini's boot proved to be ideally sized for holding two cases of wine, although with depth and limited access to the area it was a bit tricky to get them out again. The Mini also comes with a rear sensor which goes beep if the driver should be about to reverse into an object – kind of like the noise trucks make.When details of this device were explained to me, I thought it was very fancy but, with the roof up, discovered it was, in fact, essential. Rear vision in this cutie is not good. Coming out of an angle park, cyclists beware.However, overall the feel-good factor of this car is hard to deny. So, the final advice would be pack light, park securely, only go forward and enjoy ... actually that could be a motto for life, not just a Mini.

Welcome to the world of superchargers.Any thoughts that the iconic, born-again Mini is starting to show its age are blown into the roadside weeds a split second after you floor the accelerator.The updated version of the John Cooper Works Mini S doesn't immediately leap away from a standing start but once the revs are lit, it flies, hitting 100km/h in a claimed 6.6 seconds. And it's usable performance, with fourth gear propelling the Mini from 80km/h to 120km/h in a claimed 5.4 seconds, or 6.7 seconds in fifth gear.This power delivery and its aural accompaniment are totally addictive. It's also affordable, with the factory-approved John Cooper Works Tuning Kit costing less than $10,000, including fitting. If you are thinking of buying any of the Mini Cooper S models, I urge you to consider it. Your life won't be the same again.Supercharging a motor to get cheap performance is one of the oldest tricks in the book. It even predates the combustion engine, with the Roots brothers developing a forced induction system to get air into British mine shafts in the early 1880s.Gottlieb Daimler held a German patent for supercharging in 1885 but forced-air induction had its motoring heyday in the blown Mercedes racers of the 1920s and 1930s. Its biggest application was in high-altitude piston-engined fighter planes in the 1930s and 1940s.The principles of supercharging and turbocharging are the same. By forcing more air into the combustion chamber, you get a bigger bang and greater thrust.A supercharger runs via a drive belt fitted to the engine, much like an alternator. A turbocharger runs through a turbine using the engine's exhaust gases. This gives the turbocharger a slight "lag" in power delivery that the supercharger doesn't have.Supercharging technology takes several forms. Some compress the air charge inside the blower itself before it is delivered to the motor but the Mini runs a Roots-type.This means the air charge is compressed in the intake manifold and cylinders. The Works kit therefore includes a cylinder head with modified intake and exhaust ports, bigger fuel injection jets, revised engine management system and retuned stainless-steel exhaust. Claimed power output is 154kW at 6950rpm (more than twice the power of the standard, normally aspirated motor) with 245Nm of torque at 4500rpm. Good news for buyers of the earlier kits is that the new go-fast parts are retro-fittable.The extra performance is unleashed by a new air filter. An electronically controlled valve opens an additional intake duct at higher revs, punching more air into the system. If the whistling whine at full thrust is intoxicating, on deceleration the free-flowing exhaust system emits a wicked series of muted pops and bangs.To back up the bang the low-slung Mini Cooper S has a limited-slip differential, traction control and ABS brakes. It also has perhaps the most direct steering you'll find on a road car. Comparisons with go-karts spring to mind. On test was the $44,900 Mini Cooper S Cabrio with six-speed manual transmission.The John Cooper Works Tuning Kit adds another $9850 to that price.Sports suspension, satellite navigation and leather upholstery were other options fitted.Approaching five years of production, there must be a replacement Mini in the making. The Cabrio hints at how the distinctive Mini shape can be revised without losing the original's charm.The soft-top slides back in two actions. The front section can be opened up 40cm while on the move, giving an effect much like a sunroof.While stopped, the whole roof retracts in 15 seconds for the topless motoring experience.A drawback is a lack of three-quarter rear vision with the top up. This is redressed in some way with a parking sensor, which could save a lot of money in the car park.BMW build quality is generally good but I didn't like the clumsy brushed-aluminium finish on the dash. Some drivers will also find the clutch action heavy. This area near the firewall is cramped as are the rear seats.But this is a driver's car and, with the supercharger whistling and the Mini pinned to a corner, all can be forgiven.

The Mini is an iconic car that has holds huge appeal for both young and old alike and the cabrio version of the car should make many new friends.Mini Cooper Cabrio is priced from $35,900.The 1.6-litre four cylinder engine generates 85kW of power at 6000rpm and maximum torque of 150Nm 4500rpm. It is a willing worker but labours under the load down low.A five-speed manual is standard but our test car was fitted with the CVT auto. You get the option of D, Sport D or changing gears like a manual, either with the gearshift or with steering wheel mounted change paddles.The transmission makes the most of the smallish engine and the result is lively performance, provided you keep up the revs. But there's a bit of a lull before it gets going off the line.Like its hard topped sibling, the Mini Cabrio handles like a go-kart. Add in stability and traction control and this is one very stable motor car.We found the steering wheel change paddles easy to use, but the traditional gear shift was stiff during manual operation. You can flick seamlessly between the two and the transmission changes up automatically before redline is reached.The fabric covered roof is a snap to operate. There's no catches to release, just push the button and down it comes. Four buttons are located above the rear vision mirror, two for opening and closing the roof, the other two for operating the windows.The roof can also be operated from the remote and has a sunroof option which allows it to be opened halfway, providing a large 400mm opening. This can be done on the move up to a speed of 120km/h.Vision with the top up is limited, especially towards the rear. There's no B pillar but the C pillar more than makes up for this with a small rear window albeit a glass one. Add in some rain and changing lanes can be a bit of a lottery.In terms of parking, it's a good thing then that all versions of the cabrio get a parking distance sensor as standard.If you prefer travelling with the roof up, and most people who own a convertible would rather die than do so, airconditioning is also standard.Safety stuff includes ABS, Cornering Brake Control (CBC) and Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), as well as a strengthened bodyshell that incorporates strong tubes in- serted into the A pillars and dual rollover hoops with integrated headrests behind the two rear seats.Not much room in the back seat nor in the boot for that matter, so this could be a consideration if size matters.Although it takes premium unleaded, the Mini is a light sipper.