I just test drove and was hugely impressed by a 6-speed R56 non-S!

It may the lowest horsepower car I’ve driven in a while and it was an absolute blast!

My wife had a convertible first gen automatic Cooper S, hence the screen name. I have now a heavily modified R53. It’s fast and he handling is great but the noise and harshness have been putting it off and I hardly drive it. It’s so fast it’s basically unusable on public roads.

Thoughts on the R56:-Its a huge jump in quality and luxury. I drove a Mayfair which is awesome but even the more basic R56’s look nice. I was shocked how much quieter it is. Theres no nav but I’d rather use my phone for that anyway. It has Bluetooth and USB. These cars are getting a bit old in years but basically seem modern.
-The N12 matched with the manual is fantastic. The car isn’t by any means slow but the horsepower seems just right for a car that you drive flat to the floor and redline all day. There’s 6500 RPM and 6 forward gears—use them! This is car to ring it’s neck and go under the speed limit and not wrap around a tree.
-I read on the forums about the R56 lacking throttle response. I just didn’t feel it. In sport mode the throttle responded and the engine revved easily. Maybe the previous owner drove aggressively and the computer learned their style? I’d love seen what it’s like in a car with the sprint booster but there’s no way I’d go for that without testing it. Anyway I loved this little engine and all 120 horses. I’d rather this engine than the slower revving supercharged R53 or the turbo R56. In the turbo you go herky jerky from on boost to off boost. Of course in a straight line turbo is more thrilling but for straight line fun I’d rather a lot of different cars. Can I say again I just loved how this little engine revs?
-Shifter feel is excellent. Much better than my old 135i or other BMWs I’ve tested like the E46 M3 or E39 M5.
-ride quality over west Chicago streets was impressive for such a sporty short wheel base car. (If you want to test of the world’s worst roads have I got some neighborhoods for you!) Huge improvement over the R53.
-Handling is great relative to just about everything on the road. It isn’t quite the go kart R53. Maybe some springs or beefier rear sway bar would help but really stock is very good.
-looks. I love the first two generations of bmw mini. I won’t say which is my favorite on this forum

Overall it’s a great package of luxury and hard driving fun. There’s no one who makes cars like Mini. There are sporty hatches and there luxury cars. No one is doing them together. The R56 naturally aspirated engine with the manual will reward drivers who like to use all the RPMs and row the gears.

yes there is. It only tightens the steering feel and slightly increases throttle response

the one I tested had a sport button. Do they all?