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MINI COOPER S - Fleet Week
29.03.2002 |
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MINI shows who's boss
No other car on the market combines such huge all round ability with such a great image than the MINI.
The car is brilliant to drive in town and on country roads and is a decent motorway cruiser. It can carry four at a push and you can fit a week's shopping in the boot.
For fleet managers the car can be used as the first rung on the BMW perk car ladder - and if you livery the car in the right way (see Foxton's fleet feature , Fleet Week April 17) then the car will attract the right sort of attention to your business. On top of that the car has the sort of residual values that other supermini producers can only dream of.
Now MINI has released the hot 165PS version bearing the Cooper S name. The supercharged 1.6-litre Cooper S makes the MINI an even more attractive perk car. What's more it only costs £14,500, although admittedly there are a few desirable options you need to add such as aircon at £600.
In looks the quick MINI has a few pointers to its power including bonnet air scoop, S badging and rear spoiler. The cabin gains better seats and a higher equipment list than lesser MINI models including anti-skid control.
The real changes come under the bodywork.
The supercharged engine transforms the car from a trendy hatch with class to a hot-hatch with a great deal of clout. It's particularly evident on the motorway when the car feels well planted and easily capable of mixing it with the larger machinery.
The beauty of supercharging, rather than turbocharging or developing a powerful naturally aspirated engine, is the near instant power delivery - of which there's bucket loads - low down in the rev range. The engine also sounds fantastic.
It's hard to say a bad word against the Cooper S; even the fuel consumption is a reasonable 33.6mpg with a CO2 figure of 202g/km or 22% tax.
If there is a criticism it's that the ride is on the hard side, but then that's what you want from a hot-hatch. Just be careful before you opt for the larger 17 inch alloys.
By Tristan Young page 19 Fleet Week Wednesday May 29th 2002.