Mini Cooper 2001 test drive - 2006 hatchback

It doesn't seem a little

If there were no winding roads in the world, they would have to be laid for the sake of Mini Cooper S.
This phrase was not invented by me. With these words, Dr. Hinrich Peter, the head of the Mini project group, opened the presentation of the Mini Cooper S in Portugal. The event talked a lot about the revival of the legendary brand, about the second coming of a cult car, from which Europe fan has been since 1959. But that Europe. In our country, Mini is associated almost exclusively with Mr. Bin, a dude performed by actor Ron Atkinson (by the way, he travels to BMW-Maclaren F1). And the fact that one of the founders of the brand, Alec Issigonis, was addressed exclusively by sir!, That is, he had a knightly title, we do not know. Like the fact that Cooper is the name of the second father of Mini, John Cooper.
Mini BMW.
Mr. Bin is offended by his old mini-from the seller of the hot dogs on the two-wheeled cart-plate to the evil sergeants of the army of her royal Majesty on the tank. It is difficult to offend the owner of the new Mini Cooper S - first it must be caught up. Since under the hood he has not just a 4-cylinder engine with a volume of 1.6 liters, as on the usual mini One (90 hp) or Mini Cooper (116 hp). On the modification S thanks to the turbine-glower and intermediate air cooler, the engine power is 163 horses, and at the peak of his torque it goes 4000 rpm.! But the real operating frequency of rotation of the crankshaft is 6000--6500 about/min. The traction at the top of the engine is simply amazing, and in these modes Mini demonstrates everything that is capable of.
An international group worked on the concept, which included designers from Germany, England and Brazil. The nature of the BMW was still in nature: he is distinguished by an instant response to work with a gas pedal and a long transmission. In the second gear, Cooper S accelerates to 120 km/h, on the third - up to 160! On the motorway, we clouched - no less - with Porsche and performed in this competition worthy, despite the obvious difference in weight and price categories.
Karting on the highway. The engineers who worked on Mini perfectly coped with the task of ensuring the perfect grip of wheels with the road. At the same time, they did not invent a bicycle, but creatively processed the idea of \u200b\u200bthe 60s: a transverse engine with a gearbox under it. The battery was removed in the trunk, which allowed to distribute the load between the front and rear wheels in a ratio of 63:47. Another factor that guarantees a directly stunning stability was a very low center of gravity-alas, this was affected by the clearance that is not very adapted for our roads. And finally, we add to the asset the Sport Plus suspension, which is distinguished by reinforced reptile stability stability in front and rear, more rigid tuning of shock absorbers and springs, as well as a multi -link design of the rear axle, not characteristic of cars of this class.
As a result, the Mini Cooper S steers along a winding road almost like cards - even in rather risky turns, it enters under the traction, as in rails. Thanks to the geometry of the rear bridge, the wheels are constantly at the right angle to the surface and provide the best contact of the tires with the road.
Special sports.
Mini Cooper S is the top of the Mini lineup. From his younger counterparts, One and just Cooper, it is distinguished by a number of details that emphasize sports. If you take a walk around the car, then the air intake on the hood cover, more massive bumpers, painted in the color of the body, 16-inch cast discs, a small stylish roof spoiler and a double exhaust pipe are striking. In addition, on the lateral grill and rear nameplate-the proud letter S. Although at one time the founding fathers did not agree what it means-Sport or Special.
Designers seem to completely abandon the use of catchy details. The only stroke is the roof of the white color. But this, rather, is a tribute to the traditions of the British automotive industry, as well as the colors in which the real mini is stained: yellow, blue, red.
Not all gold ...
It is impossible to place the former bina in the Cooper S salon. A muddler-loser in a shabby cheap jacket and short trousers is contraindicated in the new image of the brand. The exquisite and peculiar Mini interior destroys all ideas about how a small car should look like - the designers raised the bar to an unattainable height.
The first thing that catches your eye is the absence of corners. All panels, finishes and devices are smoothed and have the shape of a circle or ellipse. Even the combined upholstery of the seats is not stolen by straight, but by oval lines. Secondly, the high quality of all finishing materials and the thoughtfulness of their combinations both in color and in texture is striking. The smallest or minor details obviously bear the imprint of the hands of a designer-artist.
The central mini console is very simple and original. It is not as such - a huge tachometer, as it were, support two oval racks. Between them are fixed by the radio, the climate control control unit and the unit of auxiliary switches. In the same style, doors are also decorated - the role of pens is performed by two oval tubes, which are made of polished metal; The vertical is equipped with a small leather armrest.
The flight is blindly. A huge speedometer located in the center of the front console is a tribute to the traditions of Mini. In the early 60s, such a decision was proposed by Cooper himself. Modern designers only complemented it with relevant indication: indicators of fuel and coolant levels, air pressure in tires and maintenance time, cruise control and ASC system sensors, etc. The electronic counter of the traveled path was cut there.
 
Before the driver's eyes-only a tachometer that is fixed on the steering column and moves up and down at the time of adjusting the bagel under the growth of the driver. It looks surprisingly stylish, but the tachometer arrow disappears from the driver's field of view of more than 80 km/h and is in the dead zone up to 160 km/h. After that, only the front passenger can observe its fluctuations. Traditions traditions, but I would change the tachometer and speedometer in places.
The keys of the windows, fog heads, door lock and disconnection of the ASC system are quite original. This is not just a functional block - this is an element of design. It is made based on the switches that are installed on the aircraft, and is six toothproists, separated by small partitions. In order to learn how to click them blindly, without taking his eyes off the road, you need a certain dexterity.
The formula of success. As a result of all the works, a very modern car turned out. But not the cheapest, since even the standard equipment of the Mini Cooper S is too rich for its class. It includes such expensive assistants as the electronic system of distribution of the EBD brake force, the ASC+T course control system and even the air pressure indicator in the tires. The new Mini Cooper S is a completely different scenario for the history of Mr. Bin. And if he wants to go to Mini further, he will have to urgently change the image. The image of a young and very ambitious person, who has already achieved much in this life, but is not going to dwell on this.
In Europe, Mini is written in line. And the biggest problem for the company is an increase in production. In Oxford, they are already working in two shifts, releasing 500 cars per day. At least at least 200 thousand mini will run around the end of the year at the end of the year. Perhaps in Russia this car will also become popular. And not only thanks to the charm of Ron Atkinson.
 
Text Nikolay Kachurin, photo of the author
Model/Modification Mini Cooper S
Manufacturer/country Bayerische Motoren Werke AG/UK
BODY
Type station wagon
Number of doors/places 3/4
ENGINE
Basin type with electronic injection, high -pressure turbine with intermediate cooling
Front location, longitudinally
Working volume (cubic cub) 1598
Number/location of cylinders 4/row
Power, kW (L.S.) at about./Min. 120 (163) at 6000
Moment (nm at about./Min.) 210 at 4000
TRANSMISSION
Front drive
The gearbox is mechanical, 6-speed
SUSPENSION
Front/rear independent type Mcpherson, reptile stabilizer/independent, multi -link, reptile stabilizer
STEERING
Type gear rack with an electro-hydraulic storage
Min. The diameter of the turn (m) 10.66
Brakes
Front/rear circular ventilated/disk
ABS 4-channel, with EBD, ASC+T, DSC systems
Dimensions/volumes/weight
Length/width/height (mm) 3655/1688/1416
Wheel base (mm) 2467
Equipped mass (kg) 1140
Tires 195/55 R16; 205/45 R17
Dynamic characteristics
Maximum speed (km/h) 218
Acceleration to 100 km/h (sec.) 7.4
Economy
Fuel consumption (city/highway, l/100 km) 11.6/6.6
The price in Moscow is $ 25 thousand.
 

A source: "Autopilot"