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AutoWeek | Published 11/27/06, 2:42 pm et
AT A GLANCE:2007 MINI COOPER
ON SALE: February 2007
BASE PRICE: $18,700
DRIVETRAIN: 1.6-liter, 120-hp, 118-lb-ft inline-four; fwd, six-speed manual
CURB WEIGHT: 2546 lbs
0 TO 62 MPH: 9.1 seconds (mfr.)
FUEL ECONOMY (EU combined cycle): 40.6 mpg





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"They say it’s - ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER, and if you look really closely at the spec sheet and all the changes, you see what they mean. But just by looking at or even driving the new 2007 Mini, there isn’t any one thing that leaps out as being revolutionary.

Take the new, lighter, more efficient, VANOS- and Valve-tronic-equipped engines. Yes they’re “all-new,” a result of a four-year-old collaboration with PSA Peugeot-Citroën, which manufactures it, and BMW, which designed it. But the new engines make only 5 more - ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER in normally aspirated trim and only 7 more in turbo. Now, no Mini enthusiast is going to say nein danke to 5 or 7 more hp; heck, half the Mini aftermarket has built business cases on stuff that claims 5 to 7 hp boosts. But it ain’t like they strapped a Saturn 5 rocket underneath it and lit the fuse.

Then there’s the body, also “new.” Quick, look at two Minis side by side, one old and one new, and try to tell them apart. Uh-huh. It’s like the Pepsi Challenge.

The new car is almost three inches longer in front with a slightly higher hood. This was done to accommodate the new European pedestrian-whacking regulations, which demand that the front ends of all cars have to have upright bulging snouts to more comfortably collect jaywalkers.

The grille and headlights are different if you look closely at them. Every body panel has been changed, too, but not by much.

The roof and floor are the same, the side frame is new, and the complete front end is new, though the track is the same. Torsional rigidity is up 5 percent.

Inside, the new dash places the audio controls inside the frying-pan-sized speedo. The seats are new, too, with the rears now getting almost two inches of kneeroom.

The 1.6-liter normally aspirated Cooper engine gets BMW’s fully variable Valvetronic control, which allows the valves to draw air into the cylinders without a throttle butterfly. VANOS valve control adds further efficiencies and helps boost horsepower from 115 to 120.

The Cooper S goes from 168 hp to 175 with direct gasoline injection, common-rail technology and a twin-scroll turbo to reduce counterpressure.

Transmissions are now your choice of six speeds, a Getrag manual or an Aisin paddle-shifted automatic.

A sport button on the dash, similar to that on the Z4, provides quicker engine and steering response and faster shifting if you have an automatic. The new electric power steering is set to dampen out low-frequency vibrations.

We drove both Cooper and Cooper S models. If you loved the old car, you will love the new car—maybe even more.

The new base Cooper feels just a bit better than before, though the electric steering felt perhaps a little too quick on tight turns. The manual shifter in the Cooper was a little vague at times. The suspension on the base car is set up more for comfort, so it felt a little spongy (should we say “comfort oriented”?) when pushed hard. Tires are 175/65R-15s with an H rating, but 16s are available.

These complaints are really only very slight degrees of whining. As before, the base car is a good one for those who think the Mini is cute and who don’t take it to track days.

The Cooper S is more what we’re talking about, particularly with the Sport Package. The Sport Package gets an extra millimeter of front and rear antiroll bar, as well as stiffer springs and shocks. Standard tires in the Cooper S are 195/55R-16 V-rated runflats, but the Sport Package comes with 16- or 17-inch performance or all-season runflats.

Any vestige of base-model sponge is gone in the S. There is precious little roll and no residual bounce going over bumps. Like the previous model, you will seek out and drive this car whenever you have a sunny day and a nice road. Or whenever the hell you feel like it. It’s still a classic.

By the way, the convertible Mini soldiers on with none of the above changes, to be replaced at a later date.

The new Coopers will arrive in America on Feb. 1, 2007. If you wait until March 1, you can get what the specs sheet calls the Hyper Sport, with an aero kit and something called “Super Suspension Plus.” No specifics on those yet.

U.S. pricing starts at $18,700 for the Cooper and $21,850 for the Cooper S, which remains one of the great performance bargains in our automotive universe, especially in the part of the universe that includes a fully functional back seat.
A British Perspective
When Manchester United football club is owned by an American, and Harrod’s is controlled by an Egyptian, German stewardship of Mini is just another fact of life in the ebb and flow of global capitalism in modern Britain.

Like no other country, British icons are freely bought and sold by the highest bidder. Thankfully, for the Mini, BMW’s influence has been nothing other than patrician.

Continual investment, careful design, fastidious build and brilliant marketing have turned Mini into the global phenomenon that no British owner ever managed.

As a measure of how well-established Mini has become, the launch of the second-generation model is accompanied by no ballyhoo jingoism, a routine regularly dusted down for legion Austin/Rover/MG launches, each falsely promising a new dawn.

This Mini needs to hide behind no such post-Imperial nonsense, because predictably (we’re talking BMW here), it builds on the first one’s successes, updating where legislated—pedestrian crash protection—and polishing where appropriate—styling, cabin space, interior and engines.

Mind you, spotting the difference between old and new isn’t easy. A bigger, more heavily-chromed grille and a more upright nose are the main, very subtle differences.

More easily detected is the new all-alloy 1.6-liter 16-valve engine, fresh from the oil pan up, that features BMW’s variable intake Valvetronic technology. The new powerplant transforms the Mini, bringing refinement, smooth power delivery and parsimonious fuel economy where the old engines merely provided grunt.

This is encouraging, because apart from nearly 20 percent better fuel economy, the new 1.6-liter numbers don’t look that impressive on paper, headlining with increases of just 5 hp and 8 lb-ft of torque. No wonder the 22-lb lighter Cooper only manages to shave 0.1-second off the 0-62 mph time and add 2 mph to the top speed.

Handily, the 120 hp and 118 lb-ft are delivered so eagerly that the new Cooper is much more engaging and satisfying, particularly on twisty tarmac. Just don’t expect to relax while enjoying the Cooper like this. The peppy engine has to be in just the right gear to deliver its best, so prepare to give the stick-shift a good workout.

Of course, point-and-shoot steering and a gumball chassis define the road manners, just as they did before. But now there’s sophisticated ride comfort, too.

While some of the details are new, like the all-electric power steering system, chosen to save space, weight and fuel consumption, it’s the tuning that really impresses.

The revised spring and damper settings take brilliant advantage of the independent rear-axle—still a novelty in a small car—and now 13 lbs lighter thanks to new alloy suspension arms. So the Cooper steers with the sensitivity and verve we’ve come to expect, while paradoxically enjoying a more compliant ride.

Another vital ingredient in the new Mini’s appeal is its high quality interior. And while the design is new, the cabin retains its unique drama. Our only gripe is the dinner plate-size central speedometer, sized to accommodate the optional navigation screen, but so huge that it overpowers the cabin.

It would be wrong to end on a sour note, though. The new Mini Cooper improves on the weaknesses of the old car while retaining the character and quality that made it such a success. Another winner from Mini.

No need to unfurl the Union Jack and end with an apology. The renewed Mini is an outstanding small car, and the fact that it is owned by Germans is explanation enough. —JULIAN RENDELL"