Mini Cooper 2001 test drive - 2006 hatchback

Maps for the city

Do you like to grab on a rolling map, and after these exercises behind the wheel of your car, do you realize that your horse of noble blood is nothing more than a rolled barge? There is a cure for such disappointments, and its name Mini Cooper S.

Lord, what can it cost so much here? The pedals are tight, trunk, read, no, you have to reach for the belt. Small as a box, and gasoline eats 11 liters on the highway. And it shakes like! Settled by one of the participants in the rally in Moscow Petersburg, conducted at five mini. The critic was driving at the first third of the distance. I had a car in the final part of the route, so my acquaintance with Mini began on the rear sofa of the car.

First thought: for several hours in the pose of the embryo, I am provided to me. However, there was plenty of place. Even knees do not rest on the back. Shine. However, when in a telephone conversation about the run I said that I was traveling in the trunk, I did not lie much: almost all the internal space, including its feed part, was given to passengers. And it is difficult to name the tiny department behind the back of the sofa, capable of accommodating only a flattened sports bag.

Frost hit the day of the run, a lot of snow fell. Result: icy working stripes plus porridge on reversible. I admit, it was scary when not the most skilled driver in response to small indignations in the movement mode of the nothing hesitated threw the gas pedal. A rather powerful (163 hp) machine, of course, instantly exposed the machine sideways, and it was heading towards the nearest truck. And from here they seem even more

Finally, it's time to adjust the driver's place for yourself. All manually. But the set of adjustments is sufficient to get a job as you like. A variable lumbar back of the back with developed lateral support is also useful on the long road.

The floor gas pedal and suspended clutch and brakes remind of BMW participation in the fate of this machine. The knob of the lever of the 6-speed manual transmission easily lies in the hand. And what is the clarity of work! However, it is not possible to savor delicious switching. It seems to be the best to work as a lever and pedals as in a racing machine: instant squeezing of the clutch under an inconspicuous discharge of gas, and the next gear is driven like a ball in a lush with a strong and accurate blow in Russian billiards. For all about all the fractions of a second. At the same time, the sound accompaniment of the configured exhaust is particularly pleasure when the engine briefly shoots on switching.

We had to catch up with the rally that had gone forward, and then Cooper opened from the unexpected side. Who would have thought that on the bare ice covered not too flat, a small car would demonstrate amazing exchange rate stability and allow you to go 150 km/h without any risk! ..

The next day is test. At our complete disposal, the Mini Cooper S, who has been finalized in John Cooper Works, and the usual mini cooper for comparison. The car charged in the court atelier has a motor of 200 hp. (Against 163 at the factory Eska and 115 for a simple Cooper). An increase in power was achieved due to the installation of a tuning kit (3010 pounds plus 564 per work).

Outwardly, in addition to S and Cooper Works, a more powerful modification can be distinguished by a double exhaust pipe bred in the middle (unlike side placement in Cooper), and the air intake on the hood (modification S is bent by a mechanical supercharger). There are differences in the cabin. If the basic version of the execution of the seats is absolutely unsportsmaning, and does not differ in convenience, then Cooper S meets guests with deep leather buckets with a large number of adjustments.

Our choice of transmission options is not accidental: I wanted to evaluate the capabilities of not only those cars that were created for motorchers, but also those who are addressed to customers who are more attracted to the machine with the machine than its running properties. The usual Cooper is with a machine gun. What can be expected from him, it becomes clear, it is worth looking at the common selector of the choice of modes for the BMW.

The dashboard as such is absent. There is a hefty tachometer, which inevitably rests, a look allotted from the road. A speedometer, huge, like a saucer, in the center from below, that is, where, as they say, you won’t look without a bottle on the go. We assume that this device serves as a noble purpose of intimidation of overly curious passengers, the benefit of its testimony often does not correspond to the modest size and funny appearance of the car.

Despite all the tricks of the stylists, the initially the good ergonomics could not be spoiled. It’s convenient to drive. One remark: there was no room for the support of the elbow on the doors.

The design is wonderful, but you should start off the place to forget about the design of the car. The basic Cooper holds perfectly on the straight line, accelerates and slows down. Controllability? With vigorous swaying the steering wheel, there is a feeling that you took the machine with the giant with the giant by the roof and download it from side to side, forcing little men to fly along the cabin. The tenacious of a short -flowing suspension makes a strong impression, given that the car is shown into winter tires, and under the wheels cold wet asphalt. The machine implicitly repeats all the movements of the steering wheel, allowing insignificant delays in the development of small body rolls. Something will be in the top version!

Mini Cooper S, as one might guess, the outstanding characteristics of the controllability of the usual version are developed to the absolute. Or to full sport. You experience similar impressions when moving around the city in a racing car, shod in sliks and with tough joints of the SC in the pendant. Only here the roar does not press on the ears, you can turn on music and air conditioning, and in the cabin you are not surrounded by a naked body metal.

And the behavior of the car resembles habits a map: zero rolls and delays, lightning and accurate reactions to all control actions. Here, the characteristics of rotation and balance are not so important: the machine is controlled easily, unambiguously and to the widest limits, allowing you to do anything with it. Trust please. The choice of gas is to choose from or light touch with the left foot to the brake. Overwhelmed? It doesn’t matter, torque torque in almost any case is enough for correction. Unless, of course, you managed to make high demands on the driver’s reaction.

Speaking of real sports, and not about image details, we were very close to the truth. The John Cooper Challenge Cup machines are not so different from the road brothers: racing brake pads, a slightly modified suspension, other adhesion and release here are all improvements.

Dear toys? Undoubtedly. But how good and which are different! The moderate option will perfectly cope with the role of a fashion accessory, and Cooper S will become a great outlet for those born of the pilot.

At the same time, the car is well adapted for long trips: a trip from Moscow to St. Petersburg in the most difficult road conditions of ice, snowfall and strong winds were no more tired than a trip on any medium -sized car. The difference is that I did not want to leave Mini: the road ended too quickly.

There are expensive cars: Cooper from 25200 euros, Cooper S from 30800. Is it a lot or not? It is difficult to say, because it is impossible to choose an analogue for comparison.

Technical characteristics Mini Cooper // Mini Cooper S

Body 3-door hatchback
Number of places, people. four
Equipped mass, kg 1165 // 1175
Full mass, kg 1505 // 1415
Dimensions, mm
- length 3626
- Width 1925
- Height 1408 // 1416
Base, mm 2467
Maximum speed, km/h 185 // 217 (226)*
Acceleration time to 100 km/h, from 10.4 // 7.4 (6.7)
Control consumption of fuel, l/100 km:
- City cycle 10.9 // 11.4
- Zagorod 5.9 // 6.8
- mixed 7.7 // 8.4
Engine:
-type of gasoline., In order, 4-cylinder., 16-valve
- working volume, cm3 1598
- Power, L.S. Under MIN-1 115/6000 // 163/6000 (200/6950)
- Torque, N.M at MIN-1 149/4500 // 210/4000 (240/4000)
CVT transmission mechanical, 6-speed
Brakes (front/rear) disk, ventilated/disk
Steering with an amplifier
Price, euros from 25200 // from 30800
* In brackets, the Mini Cooper S data modified in JCW.

Text: Dmitry Sokolov
 

Source: Magazine 5 wheel [02/2004]