Carshop First Drives: Fresher Face for the MINI

In 1959 Sir Alec Issigonis revolutionised and ergo popularised front wheel drive cars with the original (original) Mini. Back when the MINI was a British thing, as opposed to know when it operates as a subsidiary of the very German BMW. By overcompensating with Union Jacks on the roof, in sticker kits and now most notably in the rear lamp clusters.

And if it sounds like I’m poking fun, well I’m not. The MINI is a cool whip, a confident style icon that can get away with kitsch brand exercises in ways the ‘also BMW’ Rolls Royce brand wishes it could. You’ve seen this car before, many times over, and you’ll continue to love it now in its 2018 skin.

There we were. Amidst a fleet of jelly beans

Where there once was eight, now there are five. Derivatives I mean; a 3-door and 5 door hatchback, a convertible, a Countryman and Clubman. This launch would focus on the first two cars, with a convertible on display for us to peruse with our eyeballs and hands alone. No matter, we dropped into a regular Cooper five door for the first 150km and would later pilot the 3-door in Cooper S format for a similar journey.

But first let’s unpack that MINI badge in 2018 real quick – now no longer a symbol of motoring but also mobility, and the ethos of maximising your compact space, whether your car or home, and lately even in fashion – something I am not well equipped to comment on if I’m honest but I’m told you should research their Capsule Collection at Fashion Week? I’ll wait till you’re back.

The bit behind the wheel

Short strokes? Sure. The standard Cooper is excellent. It remains a style icon with competent driveability, an engaging steer and in most ways is the same as the car it replaces. Although I did notice that the Sport slider has moved to a toggle ahead of the gear lever. The gear lever which, no longer a ball, resembles an oblong wand that would looks at home in a BMW 5 Series.

These changes live in the 3dr Cooper S as well naturally, although here I’m more keen to flip that Sport toggle. So, I do, and as luck would have it one of my favourite driving roads was looming – Red Hill over Simon’s Town. Under my foot is 141kW and 300Nm thanks to a turbo-charged 2.0 litre engine – good for 0-100kph in 6.8 seconds and a max speed of 235kph.

The new Cooper S shifts with a 7-speed Steptronic but I’ve taken control of the cogs thanks to paddle-mounted shifters and am currently tickling them like piano keys, eliciting some impressive chords from the exhaust pipes. The helm is BMW-flavourful and the chassis famous for go-kart handling is living up to it’s promises. This particular mountain pass is a bumpy one but not so much as to come close to shaking the MINI and I off our game.

Some other things

So, I skipped the exterior upgrades earlier, sorry. Such as the fully LED headlamp with indicators that now completely encircle them – cute as hell. There’s also the new mini badge littered everywhere, including serving as projection lighting from the side mirrors. I also really enjoyed the new vibrant 6.5-inch touch screen display and the leathery helm.

From both of these you can operate optional BMW things like Apple Car Play, Remote and Concierge Services, get real time traffic info and such. The MINI cabin is truly a premium experience – we cannot fault it there. Which is why these cars have premium price tags attached to them as well. The entry level ONE for example, with a manual 6-speed box will set you back at R302,200.

The Cooper base car, also manual is yours for R370,300 but add the 7-speed Steptronic and you’re looking at R391,300. Need a Cooper S in your garage? Well that retails for R428,300 with the manual with a sporty auto selling at R452,500. These are all 3-door cars, for the 5-door hatchback you can add a premium of R10,000 to the models listed above – and that still leaves room at the tippy top for the John Cooper Works at R487,300 in manual and R511,600 for the 8-speed Steptronic. But then, who said MINIs were cheap thrills?

The New MINI 3 door
MINI One 3 Door Spec:

MINI Cooper 3 Door Spec:

MINI Cooper S 3 Door Spec:

The New MINI 5 door
MINI One 5 Door Spec:

MINI Cooper 5 Door Spec:

MINI Cooper S 5 Door Spec:

The New MINI Convertible
MINI Cooper Convertible Spec:

MINI Cooper S Convertible Spec:

*Fuel consumption and CO2 emission figures were measured using the methods required according to Regulation (EC) 2007/715 as amended. The figures are provisional and are based on a vehicle with basic equipment in Germany. Figures depend on the tyre format selected; specifications in brackets apply to vehicles with automatic transmission.