Launched: Mini Cooper
Wheels Magazine 
April, 2007
Inevitably most of the hype surrounding the second-generation R56 Mini is going to centre on the turbocharged Cooper S. It is the performance flagship, after all.
But the fact is the plain old Mini Cooper, the cheapest car in the local range, just may be the bigger story this time round. Based on initial Australian drive impressions, it is the more improved.
The S has not gone backwards; it's just that the lower level Cooper simply had more room to progress. To its credit, owner BMW has exploited that and delivered a car better than its $1110 price rise or barely changed look would indicate.
Every panel is different from the first BMW Mini, the R50 hardtop launched here in 2002. But a casual glance won't pick it up. There's a redesigned and larger grille; higher bonnet and shoulder line; headlights that now incorporate the indicators and are attached to the body rather than the bonnet; a 44mm increase in overall length.
The wheelbase, wheel-at-each-corner stance, three-door hatchback body, 2+2 seating layout and minimalist boot are either exactly the same, or stretched by mere millimetres.
Inside, there has been a host of detail changes, the most obvious being the movement of the speedo to a giant dial in the centre of the dashboard. The tacho now sits on the steering column. Australian design rules had forbidden this layout for the old model.
But to truly appreciate the Cooper's improvements you have to delve deeper. Specifically, under the bonnet.
Here, the old 1.6-litre four-cylinder built for BMW by Chrysler in Brazil has been dispensed with. In its place is a new engine designed by BMW in co-operation with the PSA group (Peugeot-Citroën) and built at the Hams Hall plant not far from the Mini assembly line in Oxford, UK.
On the surface there is little to get excited about here. The kilowatt count climbs by just three, and torque is up by 10Nm. As it must be, the engine is cleaner and claimed to be more fuel efficient.
Once driven, it's obvious BMW's clever fingerprints are all over this design. Employing the Valvetronic system that controls intake valve lift and timing, exhaust valve timing, and does away with conventional butterflies, this is an engine that revs consistently without displaying peaks and troughs.
It gets noisier as the revs rise. And make no mistake, it's an engine that delivers its best higher in the range. But it certainly retains its composure better than its predecessor.
Back at the performance specs chart, there's no claimed improvement in the 9.1sec 0-100km/h time. But with the old five-speed manual gearbox replaced by a new Getrag six-speeder, in-gear acceleration is brisker. The Cooper was pedestrian; now it's almost pacey.
Alternatively, the Mini can now be optioned with a new Aisin six-speed automatic transmission that replaces the R50's CVT. This isn’t a compelling combination - autos and small fours rarely are - but it is acceptable.
There's a more compact and lighter derivation of the Z-axle rear suspension underneath, but substantial improvement is difficult to detect. The steering is a little dulled now that it's fully electric rather than the electro-hydraulic system in the old car. But boy, does it handle. Just like the R50, the R56 limpets to the road.
The Cooper displays neither flagrant understeer or twitchy oversteer. It is fast enough to be great fun, but slow enough to stay out of trouble. Hardly the sort of summation that will grab headlines, but then that's the Cooper S's job.
Mini Cooper S
Twin-scroll turbocharging and direct injection help ensure the $910-pricier Cooper S is smoother, cleaner and more fuel efficient than before. While the whine and burble on the over-run have disappeared, the S gains a 20Nm overboost function and sports button to sharpen throttle response, steering and gearchanges on the new $2100 six-speed auto option.
But, like the old S, its real joys are less tangible. Smile at the directness of response, impressive grip, and crisp gearshift. The electronic steering has, however, compromised feel a tad, and the run-flat tyres and sports suspension jar on rough roads.
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