Chrysler Grills
Andy Enright on the next generation Mini Cooper S
Its fair to say that the success of the original New MINI caught everyone on the hop even paymasters BMW but now that the MK1 new MINI is old hat, its time for a new New MINI. To be honest, it looks much like the old New MINI but here in Cooper S guise, its even more refined, economical and, most importantly, powerful.
Thats down to a completely different engine providing the motive force. Where the old Cooper S used a supercharged 1.6-litre Tritec engine designed by Chrysler and produced in Curitiba, Brazil, the latest S uses the Prince engine developed in conjunction with PSA Peugeot Citroën. After all, buying in engines designed by what is now part of BMWs biggest rival, the Daimler Chrysler Group, was never a political position the senior suits at Munich were particularly happy with. Boardroom prestige aside, the 1.6-litre turbocharged Prince unit has a lot going for it.
Chrysler 300 GrillsAnybody who owned one of the old Cooper S models would laugh aloud at its claimed 33.6mpg consumption figure, since driving the vehicle as it begged to be driven would often send average fuel figures dipping below 20mpg. The contemporary turbo engine is a lot easier on the juice, with a combined figure of nearly 41mpg, although this too will dip significantly if youre getting a bit enthusiastic. The old engine wasnt exactly a unit that would win any green awards either, churning out 202g/km of carbon dioxide.
The turbo engine does far better at 149g/km, putting it on the shortlists of company car buyers who wouldnt countenance the wallop in the wallet the old car delivered when the taxman came to call. The best bit is that you get more go. Okay, so the power output is up by only five more horsepower which doesnt mean a whole lot in a vehicle as heavy as the Cooper S but what is key is that torque rises from 162lb/ft to 177lb/ft. Its worth reiterating that a turbocharged engine and a supercharged engine deliver their performance in quite different ways.
What was particularly exhilarating about the old car was the low-end grunt from the always-on supercharger. The turbo power delivery is less dramatic down low but in the midrange and upper reaches of the rev band, it provides even more brutal shove.
"There is vast potential for after market tuning with this Cooper S"
As such, the on-paper figures for the benchmark 0-60 sprint and top speed only show a minimally incremental improvement, the latest Cooper S shaving 0.3s off the sprint at 7.1s and tacking a couple of miles per hour to the top speed: this car is all in with the needle pointing at 140mph. Communicating that this is indeed a very different Cooper S could well be quite the challenge. It takes a keen eye to spot the bodywork differences, despite this car and its progenitor sharing not one piece of sheet metal. The good news for British industry is that the car will continue to be built at what is now known as Plant Oxford (Cowley to us old timers), this factorys output being upped to 240,000 cars per year, more than double what it was when the first MINIs rolled off its lines in 2001.
The body panels and sub assemblies hail from Plant Swindon and the BMW-designed engines roll out of the Hams Hall plant in the Midlands. Despite the German bankrolling, this MINI wears its Union Flags with pride. So how can you identify the latest car? Although the stance remains the same, theres been a loosening of the belt. This Cooper S model, for instance, is 60mm longer.
The front grille is tidier and the indicators are now housed in the headlight pod. The cars shoulder line is 18mm higher than on the former model, giving the latest version a more hunched, powerful appearance. Its inside the MINI that more obvious improvements have been wrought. Gone are those indicators that felt like you were snapping a biro every time you used them.
The centrally mounted speedometer now houses entertainment and, if specified, navigation functions. The slimmed-down centre console offers more space in the footwells, while the key has been replaced by a round signal sensor that slots next to the steering wheel. A start/stop button is also fitted as standard. One of the most intriguing, albeit frivolous, aspects of the interior is the optional lights package which features custom ambient illumination.
A panel of toggle switches in the roof lining allows the driver to switch the colours of the lights in said roof lining, the door storage pockets and the grab handle recesses. These can be changed at any time in five stages from warm orange to sporting blue, depending on personal taste - quite mad, but undeniably funky. Rear seat space, a big grumble amongst MINI customers, has been improved with recessed knee cut-outs in the fabric-trimmed front seat backs. Electromechanical power-assisted steering (EPAS) debuts on this version of the MINI and aims to reduce parking effort (a factor which turned off a proportion of mainly female potential customers) but still retain pinpoint accuracy at speed.
Although keen drivers will at first lament the loss of the old system, the latest setup at least features a Sport setting that increases the steerings heft and gives the throttle a more aggressive map. Also fitted as standard on Cooper S versions specified with the 16-inch alloy wheels are run-flat tyres. These tyres have a range of at least 90 miles in the event of a puncture and also mean that valuable space in the car isnt taken up with packaging a spare wheel. Pricing remains competitive, with the Cooper S giving the Renault Clio 197 something to think about at £16,025 (or £17,210 for the Clubman estate version).
Chrysler 300 Grill
Andy Enright on the next generation Mini Cooper S
Its fair to say that the success of the original New MINI caught everyone on the hop even paymasters BMW but now that the MK1 new MINI is old hat, its time for a new New MINI. To be honest, it looks much like the old New MINI but here in Cooper S guise, its even more refined, economical and, most importantly, powerful.
Thats down to a completely different engine providing the motive force. Where the old Cooper S used a supercharged 1.6-litre Tritec engine designed by Chrysler and produced in Curitiba, Brazil, the latest S uses the Prince engine developed in conjunction with PSA Peugeot Citroën. After all, buying in engines designed by what is now part of BMWs biggest rival, the Daimler Chrysler Group, was never a political position the senior suits at Munich were particularly happy with. Boardroom prestige aside, the 1.6-litre turbocharged Prince unit has a lot going for it.
Chrysler 300 GrillsAnybody who owned one of the old Cooper S models would laugh aloud at its claimed 33.6mpg consumption figure, since driving the vehicle as it begged to be driven would often send average fuel figures dipping below 20mpg. The contemporary turbo engine is a lot easier on the juice, with a combined figure of nearly 41mpg, although this too will dip significantly if youre getting a bit enthusiastic. The old engine wasnt exactly a unit that would win any green awards either, churning out 202g/km of carbon dioxide.
The turbo engine does far better at 149g/km, putting it on the shortlists of company car buyers who wouldnt countenance the wallop in the wallet the old car delivered when the taxman came to call. The best bit is that you get more go. Okay, so the power output is up by only five more horsepower which doesnt mean a whole lot in a vehicle as heavy as the Cooper S but what is key is that torque rises from 162lb/ft to 177lb/ft. Its worth reiterating that a turbocharged engine and a supercharged engine deliver their performance in quite different ways.
What was particularly exhilarating about the old car was the low-end grunt from the always-on supercharger. The turbo power delivery is less dramatic down low but in the midrange and upper reaches of the rev band, it provides even more brutal shove.
"There is vast potential for after market tuning with this Cooper S"
As such, the on-paper figures for the benchmark 0-60 sprint and top speed only show a minimally incremental improvement, the latest Cooper S shaving 0.3s off the sprint at 7.1s and tacking a couple of miles per hour to the top speed: this car is all in with the needle pointing at 140mph. Communicating that this is indeed a very different Cooper S could well be quite the challenge. It takes a keen eye to spot the bodywork differences, despite this car and its progenitor sharing not one piece of sheet metal. The good news for British industry is that the car will continue to be built at what is now known as Plant Oxford (Cowley to us old timers), this factorys output being upped to 240,000 cars per year, more than double what it was when the first MINIs rolled off its lines in 2001.
The body panels and sub assemblies hail from Plant Swindon and the BMW-designed engines roll out of the Hams Hall plant in the Midlands. Despite the German bankrolling, this MINI wears its Union Flags with pride. So how can you identify the latest car? Although the stance remains the same, theres been a loosening of the belt. This Cooper S model, for instance, is 60mm longer.
The front grille is tidier and the indicators are now housed in the headlight pod. The cars shoulder line is 18mm higher than on the former model, giving the latest version a more hunched, powerful appearance. Its inside the MINI that more obvious improvements have been wrought. Gone are those indicators that felt like you were snapping a biro every time you used them.
The centrally mounted speedometer now houses entertainment and, if specified, navigation functions. The slimmed-down centre console offers more space in the footwells, while the key has been replaced by a round signal sensor that slots next to the steering wheel. A start/stop button is also fitted as standard. One of the most intriguing, albeit frivolous, aspects of the interior is the optional lights package which features custom ambient illumination.
A panel of toggle switches in the roof lining allows the driver to switch the colours of the lights in said roof lining, the door storage pockets and the grab handle recesses. These can be changed at any time in five stages from warm orange to sporting blue, depending on personal taste - quite mad, but undeniably funky. Rear seat space, a big grumble amongst MINI customers, has been improved with recessed knee cut-outs in the fabric-trimmed front seat backs. Electromechanical power-assisted steering (EPAS) debuts on this version of the MINI and aims to reduce parking effort (a factor which turned off a proportion of mainly female potential customers) but still retain pinpoint accuracy at speed.
Although keen drivers will at first lament the loss of the old system, the latest setup at least features a Sport setting that increases the steerings heft and gives the throttle a more aggressive map. Also fitted as standard on Cooper S versions specified with the 16-inch alloy wheels are run-flat tyres. These tyres have a range of at least 90 miles in the event of a puncture and also mean that valuable space in the car isnt taken up with packaging a spare wheel. Pricing remains competitive, with the Cooper S giving the Renault Clio 197 something to think about at £16,025 (or £17,210 for the Clubman estate version).
Chrysler 300 Grill
