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here was a whole industry built around tuning the classic Mini, but so far the go-faster brigade has kept away from the new model. However, all that has now changed, and there have been at least three specialists fighting to be first to get their hands on the Cooper S and build the most powerful MINI yet.
German tuner Hartge - normally associated with boosting BMWs - won the race. And we pulled out all the stops to be the first to get behind the wheel of the uprated version.
Modifying the standard car's supercharger compressor and drive assemblies, together with a revised engine management system, has squeezed an extra 47bhp out of the 163bhp unit from the Cooper S. The result is a revelation for those who like nothing more than to have fun on country lanes.
The tuned engine revs much more keenly to the red line, and the extra turn of speed is noticeable. Figures show it, too - top speed is raised to 144mph, while the 0-60mph time tumbles from 7.4 to 6.6 seconds. But it's the mid-range performance that's most impressive - 40-60mph in fourth gear takes less than five seconds.
The assault on the aural senses is just as dramatic as the performance. Our test car came with Hartge's prototype exhaust, which has four barrels - reminiscent of the BMW M3. But even the noise from the big pipes is soon overtaken by the supercharger's gear-like whine, which resembles the sound of a conventional car in reverse. You'll love it or hate it, but even the biggest fan might find this irritating on a long trip.
As much as I'd love to do it, I'm pretty sure it would mean voiding the warranty. Looks like I'll stay stock until the warranty runs out. Probably by then I'll have fallen in love with the latest model!
I've seen so many different mage post times from 6.8secs to 7.4secs, and everything in between. Depends on the driver, the car(broken in or not), humidity, tires, pavement, elevation, etc.
But at 7.4secs, looks like someone's grandma was driving.
__________________ Simple recipe for excitement: Take 1 new MINI. Throw in 1 supercharger. Add 6 gears. A dash of 91 Octane. A sprinkle of style inside and out. Toss in 1 MadMan. And finally, heat tires and pavement to taste. Recipe produces 1 MINI Cooper'S' and full satisfaction. Motor on!!
