In the cliff-hanging closing seconds of the film “The Italian Job” where the real stars were the patriotic red white and blue Mini Coopers, Michael Caine utters the immortal words: “Hang on lads, I’ve got an idea.”
In 1958 — as the story goes — after a particularly good lunch the quintessential workaholic Alex Issigonis articulated much the same thought when he sketched the outline of a radical modern new design of car on an expensive white table cloth and the legend of the Mini began.
With the Mini he inspired generations of motorists, spawned imitators and a car cult and set the benchmark for the transverse mounted engine front wheel drive car that could challenge the cumbersome fuel guzzlers on track, road and four Monte Carlo rallies and simply blow them away. By the end of production, the Mini had sold over 5.5 million units.
Never one to do things by halves, he also hacked off at least one generation of motorists by designing in a SR1 head by-pass hose that cost SR1,000 to replace and putting the spark-plug rotor housing in front of the engine where it would short out at the first hint of rain. Many were the beaded fashionistas of the day the cut of whose paisley-pattern flared trousers was ruined by a temporary repair kit consisting of a can of WD40, a pair of mole grips, some gaffer tape and a by-pass hose that was often misinterpreted.
The chance to drive the second iteration of the BMW Mini therefore was too tempting to miss. Had the Mini legend transmogrified into a plump pussy or was it still the hugely exciting crudely built hissy and aggressive little street scrapper I soiled my kaftan on?
“It’s all BMW now sir,” I loaded a two meter tenth-of-a-ton teenager in the 2007 Mini Cooper to operate the silvery plastic digital dashboard. Had this car been designed by a budget constrained Buzz Lightyear of the film “Toy Story”? The build quality of the car, comfort and the electronics are without doubt BMW as they all work — but that cheap plastic!
Built to meet European environmental and fuel-consumption regulations, BMW designed a completely new engine for the 2007 Mini Cooper. It produces roughly the same output as before: 120hp in the Cooper and 175hp in the Cooper S. In place of a supercharger in the S a turbocharger — theoretically 20 percent more efficient than the 2006 S — produces 177 pound-feet of torque between 1700 to 5000 rpm. Wicked!
The new Cooper S producing 10 more bhp than the outgoing supercharger version and the use of a turbo opens up unlimited tuning possibilities to encourage the engine past the 200 bhp mark and squeezing even more eager horses than the S Works’ version. There is even whispering of an Alpina version.
Both hatchback models come standard with six-speed manual transmissions; a six-speed automatic transmission with Steptronic controls is optional. Gear changes are fully automatic via paddles mounted on the steering wheel, or through the gear stick set in manual mode. However the only way really to appreciate a Mini — this or the BMC original — is through a manual box.
The Mini Cooper hardtop comes with air conditioning, CD stereo with six speakers, wired for auxiliary input and a six-disc CD changer, power windows with auto-down, power locks, remote keyless entry with electronic signal transmitter in place of the ignition key, and rear wiper standard.
This is actually a comprehensive and well-balanced sound system, which is also used in the top spec Range Rovers. However, the integrated design of the audio controls will make it nearly impossible to fit any other sound system.
Standard wheels are 15-inch alloy with tubeless tires, and the car is fitted with a spare tire and wheel; 16 and 17-inch wheels are optional but only detract from the chuck-ability factor and just dial in more bump steer and tramlining.
Safety features on the new hardtop models include passive front and rear crumple zones and side-intrusion protection, six airbags, ABS anti-lock brakes, Electronic Brake Force Distribution, and Cornering Brake Control.
The new engine, together with new European pedestrian safety standards, required that for 2007 BMW redesign the front panels and for design integrity, tweaked all the others. In almost all areas, trim and design is upgraded from the 2006 model. Headlamps, now with turn signals in the fitting, are chassis mounted rather than in the hood and LED rear lights come as standard. Combined with the broad grille, chrome on the Cooper and black mesh on the Cooper S, the car has much the same image as before. The interior has been redesigned to increase space, but continues to nod to the Mini heritage. The vast speedometer — with a digital display panel in the center as this car was fitted with the satellite navigation system — is still placed in the middle of the dashboard, with the tachometer conveniently mounted behind and moving with the tilting steering wheel. For it size, the speedometer is not easy to read and fussy little buttons on the central console operates the digital display panel.
The interior is large enough to accommodate most sizes of drivers and front passengers in comfort and, should passengers have matchstick legs, the deep rear seats are actually functional. Think more of a 2 + 2 . . . a baby Porsche. The combination of hatchback and folding rear seats allows 24 cubic feet of cargo to be carried.
Trim, upholstery, paint, accent panels and technology options allow customers to customize their cars to a quite remarkable degree. After all personality and individuality is what helped keep the mini alive for over 40 years.
All very pretty, but does it drive? Changes in the suspension, the increased torque of the engine, and the incorporation of the electromechanical assisted steering make the car easier and safer to drive fast than the previous model. It still responds very rapidly with nearly the go-kart like adherence to the road of the previous model, but not quite.
Retuned suspension, short wheelbase and the same tight turning radius, BMW has reduced the Mini’s oversteer potential so that even with radical changes in throttle or brakes in the middle of corners, the car never feels at risk of spinning out. They achieve a lot of this effect through an electromechanical steering linkage that alters to meet the situation. The feeling of connection with the road remains and is deeply satisfying. It also makes for moments of pure joy on Jeddah’s streets when you buzz round a tight corner inside homicidal SUV drivers who couldn’t shake a stick at it!
The standard Mini Cooper suffers from gear change lag, lack of power and a great deal of road and wind noise. Still a very pleasant little car to drive, especially as the quality of the seating and driving position combine to produce BMW’s famous fatigue free driving, it is essentially a city car with a sporty feel.
Having driven the 2006 Cooper S with the supercharged engine, I get the feel that the dead hand of regulation and catering to the designer market have smoothed off the essential essence of Mini which was: “Stuff the conventional. I’m here!”
This is not a true Mini. It is neither mini in size nor stature, neither does it have the heritage and pedigree. It is purely Mini by name.
But — the new Italian Job film released a few years ago used the new minis. The film was a re-imagining of the original. The film catered for a new audience and a different era, as does the BMW Mini, it is a re-imaging of the classic car.
Is it fun? Yes!
But make sure you have that magic ‘S’ emblazoned on the rear or you may find yourself in the wake of a classic Cooper as it demonstrates to you the true meaning of “nippy.”
