|
MINi
Cooper |
Introduction
POW…..the new MINI Cooper hits the photoreceptors linked to the
right side of the human brain like a locomotive. Can this tiny car
be for real? Who would want to drive around in such a small car,
being dwarfed by the behemoths found on the road today? This car
makes the VW Beetle look big by comparison.
When we had our first
glimpse of the new MINI Cooper we thought it was another stab at the
retro market, like the VW New Beetle and Chrysler PT Cruiser. The
new MINI Cooper, while retro, does not rank with some of the other
retro styling exercises coming from just about every major car
manufacturer. Take the new Ford Thunderbird for example, this car
shares its platform with the Lincoln LS and Jaguar S Type. The New
Beetle is pretty much a VW Golf and Audi TT underneath. The PT
Cruiser's underpinnings are very much like the Dodge Neon. The new
MINI Cooper from BMW is what you can refer to as a purebred, its
gene pool is not diluted by transfusions from the BMW line of
automobiles.
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Engine
bay is packed solid |
We
might expect to find some major drivetrain, suspension, steering or
other systems to be transplanted from vehicles within the family of
BMW automobiles. This is not the case, and with the exception of
some rear suspension geometry shared with the 3 Series, the new MINI
is a new strain of automotive DNA. This, of course, can sometimes be
a bad thing as new models tend to have some teething pains, and the
new MINI Cooper is not without them. Problems in the early
production cars are things such as cracking windshields, shift cable
problems, pulling to the left, and temperamental seat mechanisms.
The good news is that BMW has already corrected these problems and
folks buying the cars now should not experience these
inconveniences. We have driven nine of the new MINI's and
experienced the left pull problem in only the two early production
cars. After logging thousands of miles in the MINI's we feel
confident this is a well-engineered automobile, even considering the
fact it's a completely new car.
|
Grrr.... |
With the help of new computer aided design (CAD) software and
computer aided manufacturing (CAM) capabilities, car companies can
work through many of the design flaws that once made their way to
the assembly line and dealer showrooms. Assemblies can be animated,
parts can be stress tested and the engineering teams can be
confident their contribution to the automobile will not come back to
haunt them. Remember the days when folks painted lemons on their
cars, or would hang them from a crane and threaten to drop them?
Fortunately that level of frustration has been engineered out of the
ownership experience for most new cars and trucks.
Let's Take a Look
There are two trim levels in the MINI line, the Cooper and Cooper
S. The Cooper is available with the constantly variable
transmission (CVT) or the 5 speed manual. The Cooper S is
available only with the Getrag 6 speed manual gearbox. Both the
Cooper and Cooper S utilize a 1.6 liter overhead camshaft, inline
four cylinder engine incorporating a cast iron block and aluminum
cylinder head. The Cooper S utilizes a supercharger to boost
horsepower from 115 (Cooper) to 163 bhp (Cooper S).
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Front
lights |
Most folks agree the exterior styling appears retro and modern,
taking nothing away from the original design, yet representing all
the advances of modern technology. We did not encounter anyone that
felt the car was not pleasing to the eye, and we would have to
agree. Even Juan Montoya has ordered the Cooper S, and will be
sending it back to the UK for a little fine-tuning by the folks at
John Cooper Works
www.johncooperworks.com to the tune of a rumored 240 horsepower.
The styling cues on the outside carry over to the inside. The
centrally located speedometer appears comically large and consumes a
large area in the center of the dashboard. The tachometer is mounted
on a pod atop the steering column. The overall fit and finish are
excellent both inside and outside the car. Maybe not the quality of
a new BMW or Audi, but darn good for a car with a starting price
under $17,000. The doors close with the solid thump found in the
more expensive German automobiles. The base seats are leatherette
and have a peculiar texture to them.
The quality material
feels almost rubbery and holds onto you like a wet inner tube used
at the local swimming hole. This prevents your clothing from
slipping about when cornering. The lack of good bolstering on the
base seats will allow you to move around a little more than you
might like. Imagine your clothing stuck in place while you slide
around in the seat, now that's a weird sensation for you. The seats
do offer excellent lower lumbar support and posses enough manual
adjustment to satisfy most drivers. We highly recommend the sport
seats, as they provide the same level of comfort with the added
bolstering necessary to hold you in place during hard cornering,
something the Cooper excels at.
The HVAC controls are located under the standard radio/CD player
with a row of toggle switches mounted below them. The toggles work
the power windows, door locks, fog lights, stability control, etc.
They look nice and have a good quality feel, but we prefer to have
the window and door lock controls mounted on the door. The interior
of a base Mini is very good, the premium package and sport seats
make it even better. Now to the cup holders, a minor thing I know,
but one that can make you scratch your head on a car otherwise well
thought out. Lets not call them cup holders, in this way we can find
other uses for them and not become obsessed with their inability to
hold a cup. Actually you will do fine by sticking with a 12 ounce
coffee cup, but only with a flat lid. VW had the same problem with
the New Beetle during the first few years of production.
The rear seats in the MINI look like they could be comfortable, if
you could work your way into them. With minimal legroom for rear
seat passengers we would not recommend this car to take the place of
the family sedan. There is ample room upfront for most drivers, and
many would consider the accommodations spacious, a reflection back
to the original Mini. Visibility from the cockpit is excellent with
the exception of a glance over your left shoulder. The B pillar can
momentarily block the view of a vehicle on your left quarter, but
this is a very minor thing most folks would probably never notice.
Let's go "Motoring"………
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Rear
view |
I
know how Pavlov's dog felt when the bell sounded. If you buy a MINI
you will need to tape a reminder to your dashboard that reads: the
street is not a go-kart track. Go ahead, try to drive through
traffic and not perceive the other cars as go-karts that need to be
overtaken. This could develop into a sickness, a new medical
condition requiring the most advanced forms of treatment. The little
naturally aspirated 1.6 liter engine doesn't make much power until
the tachometer needle swings past the 3500 mark, but then a little
kick will send you scooting along up to 6000 at a good rate.
The supercharged version
is another story and is definitely the choice for anyone interested
in spirited driving or track use. You scoot along in the Cooper,
snatching gears and working the steering. The shifts come easily
thanks to the dual cone synchronizers in the transmission that allow
for easy shifting at all engine speeds. The steering is tight,
direct and responsive. Don't worry about how fast you are going at
this point, it's well beyond anything that could be considered
legal. The car is smooth and stable, you can easily run into triple
digits before the sirens of the patrol car in the distance splash a
little cold reality in your face. There should be an exemption for
the little Cooper, the officer should say, "Oh, it's a Cooper, well,
carry on then".
Every now and then a car will come along that seems at harmony with
itself and the road, the little Cooper may be one of those cars.
It's a combination of steering, power, gearing, handling and good
ergonomics, get it right and the world can be a wonderful place.
Normally we would look closely at the torque/horsepower figures and
compare them to other cars within the class, doing that here the
Cooper does not shine. The old saying that a great car is more than
the sum of its parts certainly goes a long way here. If we wanted
horsepower and raw acceleration we would all be driving Camaro's.
The Cooper S is by far the choice for anyone interested in a Cooper
for its performance characteristics. The Cooper is a fun little car
to drive, but the naturally aspirated engine may leave horsepower
addicts with a case of withdrawal. The added supercharger and sport
suspension of the S turn the little Cooper S into a serious high
performance machine. Not many of the elite supercars can match the
slalom speed of the MINI Cooper. Straight-line performance is not
the only indicator of a great high performance road machine, cars
must be stable and comfortable at speed, they must be predictable,
and they must feel like an extension of the human body and mind.
Does the new MINI Cooper
S provide these experiences? Yes, and at $20,000 we expect folks
will be tripping over each other to get a crack at ownership. We
have kept our Chili Red S for long-term ownership experience and
will report back on how the car fares once we put a few more hard
earned miles on it. The downside to the MINI is a fairly firm ride,
the lack of rear seat and trunk space, and keeping the enthusiasts
fingerprints off of the doors and windows.
Who would want to drive around in such a small car, being dwarfed by
the oversize behemoths roaming our roadways? We can't speak for
everyone, but you can count us in. BMW refers to the Cooper S as the
bulldog, drive it awhile, you will too.
Some Spec's
The MINI Cooper is 142.8 inches long, 66.5 inches wide, 55.4 inches
tall on a 97.1-inch wheelbase, weighing 2,524 pounds. Turning-circle
diameter is 35 feet. Cargo space is listed as 5.3 cubic feet behind
rear seats, 25 cubic feet when rear seats are folded. Rated to carry
948 pounds of people and cargo, and to tow a 1,102-pound trailer
without brakes, 1,430-pound trailer with brakes.
Cooper S Specifications
|
Weight, Pounds |
2678 |
|
Weight Distribution,
front/rear |
63/37 |
|
Engine |
1.6 Liter, Inline 4
Cylinder |
|
Bore/Stroke, Inches |
3.03/3.38 |
|
Horsepower / RPM |
163 / 6000 |
|
Torque, lb-ft / RPM |
155 / 4000 |
|
Power to Weight Ratio
|
1 HP:16.4 lbs. |
|
Compression Ratio |
8.3:1 |
|
Fuel Mileage City/Hwy |
24 / 33 |
|
Transmission |
6 Speed Getrag |
|
Final Drive Ratio |
2.74:1 |
|
Drag Coefficient |
.36 |
|
Top Speed |
136 MPH |
|
0 - 60 MPH |
6.9 Seconds |
|
Suspension Front |
Macpherson Strut |
|
Suspension Rear |
Multi-Link Independent |
|
Tire Size |
195/55 R-16 (standard) |
|
|
205/45 R-17 (optional) |
|
Wheel Size |
15" X 5.5" (standard) |
|
|
16" X 6.5" (optional) |
|
Brake Dimensions, Front |
10.9" |
|
Brake Dimensions, Rear |
10.2" |
|
Braking System |
ABS / CBC / EBD
(standard) |
 Comments can be
sent to the author at feedback@autoracing1.com. |
