We've found the Mini Cooper to be sporting and comfortable at the same time. We've driven them on race tracks and on streets and highways around the world. This latest-generation Mini is easier and safer to drive quickly, benefits of changes to the suspension, the increased torque of the engine, and the electromechanically assisted steering. This is one of the most fun and responsive cars on the road.The convertible is almost as sporty as the hardtop. This latest version handles better than the previous-generation (pre-2009) convertible thanks to a stronger body structure that allows for little cowl shake. In fact, we'd call it one of the stiffest convertibles on the market.
We found that the optional 17-inch run-flat tires combined with the stiff suspension on the Mini Cooper S convertible made it prone to pounding over bumps. We began to dread early spring potholes on Chicago streets. Our advice is to try the S suspension and the larger tires before you buy; they may make the ride too stiff for some tastes.
The latest engine was engineered by BMW and is being produced by Peugeot. It was designed to meet increasingly stringent European environmental regulations, which now focus on both mileage and CO2 emissions. Engines installed in Minis are manufactured in the BMW Hams Hall engine plant in England. Prior to 2009, the convertible had been using the previous-generation engine developed by Chrysler and Rover until 2009.
The current engine has the same capacity and produces approximately the same horsepower and torque as the previous engine. However, with BMW Valvetronic variable-valve-timing technology it rates and EPA-estimated 28/37 mpg City/Highway. And according to European testing, CO2 emissions are significantly reduced.
In Cooper S turbocharged trim with direct fuel injection, the new engine delivers very sporting performance. Its 172 horsepower is more than adequate in the lightweight Mini to generate speeds twice most legal limits, but the 177 pound-feet of torque, which can be over-boosted to 190 pound-feet for short intervals, and is available from 1700 rpm to 5000 rpm, is nothing short of marvelous. A Sport button yields quicker response from accelerator and steering.
The turbo engine takes the Mini from 0 to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds, reflecting a slight turbo hesitation at the start, but producing satisfying acceleration at all speeds once in motion. Even on the track at Zandvoort, with its frequent elevation changes and notoriously tight hairpin corners, the car turned its fastest laps with the transmission left in third gear rather than downshifting to second. And even with that performance, the turbo with manual transmission is still EPA-rated at 26 mpg urban and 34 mpg highway.
The Cooper S comes with a sport-tuned suspension, but its behavior is still much more refined than other cars capable of similar track speeds. Using the MacPherson strut front suspension and multi-link rear suspension adapted from the BMW Z4, the Cooper S is flat and stable in corners, and absorbs most bumps without discomforting passengers.
Though this model still has the same short wheelbase as its predecessor, and the same tight turning radius, BMW has retuned the suspension to reduce its oversteer potential so that even with radical changes in throttle or brakes in the middle of corners, the car never feels at risk of spinning out.
This feeling of composure has been heightened through the programming of the electromechanically assisted steering, which uses an electric motor, instead of hydraulics, to alter and enhance driver steering input. Because the steering is still mechanically connected to the front wheels, this system can't be called drive-by-wire, and the driver still has a feel for the road and the car's changing cornering force can be felt through the wheel.
In addition to its variable-ratio rack, the system can alter the steering effort. This is most apparent in tight, slow parking lot maneuvers where very little effort or wheel motion is needed to make large changes in direction. In comparison, at highway speeds greater rotation of the steering wheel results in smaller and less sensitive directional changes.
One advantage of electronically assisted steering is that input/output ratios can be changed during the course of a turn, not just varying with vehicle speed. In the Mini, this means that the initial turn-in is cushioned slightly, so the car doesn't feel as go-kart twitchy as the previous model, but once a constant turning radius is established, it takes almost no effort to maintain the turn, regardless of speed.
Both the Cooper and Cooper S rely on the same four-wheel-disc brake system. It provides quick and stable stops.
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