So let’s take it from the top, for the Convertible didn’t have one!
FOR ME, SONIC, THE HEDGEHOG WITH ITSshiny blue livery, travelling at the speed of light to save the world, with a flair for hairstyle, is what comes closest to a Mini Cooper S.
It may not be practical for the realists, with a thousand things to bring under the microscope, but it always makes my heart swell and eyes gleam and no matter what, I love it! Yes, that’s what it is. Small, fast and can carry a lot of gold. Jokes apart, the Cooper S takes things to a size smaller, a notch sportier and a level higher.
It looks like nothing else. Its beauty has already been written about while talking about its sibling, the Mini Cooper Convertible, and since the Cooper S shares the same skin, I’ll shift the focus to what is more exciting in the ‘S’.
The Cooper S bears the same heart as its hatch and convertible siblings – the 1.6-litre, in-line four petrol mill – but with a twin-scroll turbocharger and inter-cooler in addition. In a twin-scroll turbo, the ducts of the cylinders, whose exhaust gas pulses interfere with each other, are separated in the exhaust gas manifold and in the turbo itself. Such a configuration enhances the turbo’s response and promises a zero turbo lag.
In the Mini Cooper S, the engine has been tuned to deliver 186.5 PS of power at about 5,500 revs (with the power delivery getting better after 1,700 revs) and peak torque of 240 Nm within 1,600-5,000 RPM and the car promises an overboost of 20 Nm in torque, making it 260 Nm when the pedal is floored. The car follows your command like a tamed pet until you go easy on the pedal. But once floored, this little missile darts away before you realise what you did. Front-wheel drive that it is, torque steer has still not stopped haunting the drive of the Cooper S, despite the car being criticised for it globally on many occasions.
A mechanical limited slip differential (LSD) is a standard feature in the car, providing it greater grip on slippery surfaces. Its power steering is well weighted and offers good agility to the car. The overall feel of the car is stiff, reminding you time and again of its family. After enjoying the supremacy and luxury of the convertible, the suspension of the S gives a clear indication that things henceforth would get bumpy and thus ‘sporty’. The Mini Cooper S also comes with the option of a sports suspension, comprising harder springs, dampers and anti-roll bars. The brakes have a good bite and can ably rein in this tiny sprinter.
The engine has been mated with a six-speed automatic transmission which does its job pretty well in the drive mode. Put the shifter in the ‘S’ mode and watch the tachometer needle climb as you enjoy the world by your side turn into a hazy picture. Much to our delight, the S crossed the 100 km/h mark in about eight seconds and showed a good spread of power and torque all throughout the curve. Not just a good performer, the engine showed quite some fuel efficiency too, returning 11 km to a litre.
It may not be practical, it may not be cheap and it might be a small car at that price, but it’s a Mini Cooper and you buy it to own a piece of history that this icon signifies. Your thirty lakh rupees wouldn’t make much of a difference to the world, but if Mr Bean drove any other car, it would.
Story: Gasha Aeri-Alawani
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
