MINI introduce the go-karter go-faster Cooper S. A TwinPower Turbo motor with one more cylinder and many more horses than the Cooper, and an air-strip to have some furious fun on. Here’s what it’s like.
Story: Jim Gorde
Photography: Rommel Albuquerque
The world is in need of an everyday superhero. Chaotic traffic, jams around every corner, and even the occasional worry at the back of many minds if they will even manage to get back safely. Sadly, there are no superheroes, you have to be your own. Phone booths are fast dwindling, and costume shops are not easy to find. There is no place you can change to get ready to save the world. But what if you didn’t have to? Do we realise that we don’t need special attire to change the world? That with only our hearts and the need for true inner change can we achieve what is most needed, if only we really wanted to.
Enter the super-MINI. Yes, it looks no different from the Cooper diesel three-door, but the red ‘S’ designation says it all. It doesn’t need to wear its underwear outside for you to appreciate its presence. The Volcanic Orange colour, like on the diesel, is vibrant and extremely eye-catching, and goes well with the exciting nature of the car. The three-door S is almost identical to the D save for face. The front grille is black, while the lower air-dam has two shapely intakes. The bonnet too has a scoop. The front grille and the front quarter panels on either side sport the ‘S’ badging.
The interior is similar, with manual adjustments for the sporty seats and enough head- and body-room. The sports steering wheel in black leather with contrast red stitching and the ‘John Cooper Works’ badge is extremely striking; the detail is hugely appreciated. Speaking of detail, the seat-belt buckles are wrapped in fabric too. The central display is the same as the diesel, and the active lighting surely helps liven up any mood.
The S is the Cooper with a bigger heart, and that also means it’s way more powerful. How much more? Well, for starters, it has four cylinders, that’s 33 per cent more displacement than the standard Cooper (the 1.5-litre three-pot which isn’t available here, not yet, at least). Peak power is 192 PS from its 2.0-litre motor. There’s also a generous 280 Nm of torque. A six-speed automatic transmission is standard and drives the front wheels. Here, in the MINI Cooper S, however, it is a lot of fun. The little car weighs all of 1,220 kg, so that’s about 160 PS/tonne, but, more importantly, it’s a car which you can have fun with in town, on the highway, or, as we found out, on an empty air-strip too. Flick the MINI into ‘Sport’ mode, and a rocket-powered go-kart icon tells you all you need to know.
