[ifeeling]

Since my grandpa got his first Mini Cooper in 2002, I’ve always looked at them with an air of respect. Mini has been trying to expand the brand out since 2008 when the Clubman came out, and now, the new Coupe is said to be the most hardcore chassis they put on the market. With all that in mind, I went to a local dealer and tried one out. This new black car was an interesting mix of things, but I stepped out of it at the end of the drive with a lot to think about.



My test car was a base Cooper Coupe with the naturally aspirated engine, a silver roof, and upgraded leather seats. With the various other options installed on it, the retail price was up and very much over $30,000–a massive price for a Mini Cooper. Options included sport seats, a Harmon/Kardon audio system, very attractive 17″ alloy wheels, leather upholstery, Comfort Access, a six-speed automatic transmission, sport suspension, and chrome all over the interior and exterior. Even the paint was a $500 option (Midnight Black). A set of silver racing stripes completed the package, which changed to black stripes on the roof of the little car. This new model seats two people, as oposed to four in the original, and has a small trunk with enough for a weekend and maybe one more day on vacation. It’s not an especially big car inside, with less headroom than the regular Cooper and a more sedanlike rear window. The shape reminds me of a 1940s era business coupe, which only sat three people on a bench seat and had a large trunk for carrying sales items. So, it’s a clear step away from the standard Mini philosophy of a small car with big practicality.

[rangieboy17]

You know, you can't promote your 'luxury' magazine without being a sponsor here.

[ECB]

+1!

no freebie stuff,..you gotta pay to play!

but concerning your test drive...

I actually miss the main part : the test drive !!!

lol,...massive fail!

but thanks for the pics and the other details on it!

[MrofSweden]

This is pretty interesting for me as a MINI seller, what did you thouht about the actual test drive? I drive the Cooper S Coupe myself and have my thoughts about it. But do you have that? Steering, handling, the Cooper engine and so on. How was it?

[jaymoney]

I took a coupe out for a test drive this week and I don't have a magazine to promote. I had a 2007 cooper S for 4 years of trouble free ownership and had a blast driving it. Now that this one is out my thought was to give the cooper works version a look. The car that I drove had the sports handling package and was a huge step up from the old car with the supercharger. This was the first mini that I drove that felt like a focused sports car. The last one seemed more like a compact with pep. The steering in this car is more neutral and responsive. The acceleration was closer to a boxster than the old mini. I was really impressed. In fact, the Cooper Works version with 208 hp kind of ruins the other cars. I don't think that I could go back to the S alone.

[Bullitt44]

I miss my 09 JCW!!