Celebrating 60 years of Mini

I had the opportunity recently to sample the three-door Mini Cooper for the first time, having only experienced the S and JCW variants of the F56 generation previously.

Powertrain

Powering the Cooper and indeed, the Mini One is the B38 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine from the modular BMW B engine range. This includes the B48 four-cylinder and the B58 six-cylinder from the Z4, Toyota Supra, M140i, M240i and various other BMW models.

Driving the Cooper

The B38 is the least impressive from within the family though, despite a charming three-cylinder thrum, it does vibrate quite a bit and when the Start/Stop is engaged, it feels particularly gruff. The seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox is impressive though and gives a good impression of the upcoming BMW 1 Series from a power delivery perspective. The ride quality is quite harsh, considering the fact that this isn’t a performance hatchback. That being said, the handling is good, not quite as good as the first BMW-made R53 Cooper S, but certainly sportier than most hatchbacks out there. I’m of the opinion that the Cooper S is worth the extra money for an added cylinder, more power, better brakes and sportier looks if you’re after a sporty drive though.

A change in the target audience

Each passing generation of the Mini Cooper seems to slant further and further towards the premium boutique hatchback segment and away from the compact practicality of the Morris original. Is the fact that the Mini brand has gone premium a bad thing? For the Mini purist, perhaps, but for everyone else, there’s a baby BMW dressed as a British icon.

Verdict

In a sea of econobox hatchbacks and compact crossovers, the three-door Mini remains a wonderfully unique proposition that has retained all of the quirks and potential pitfalls that make these cars so endearing to those fanatical about the brand. A Mini isn’t for everyone, nor should it be. At over R400 000 for the Cooper press vehicle, I did find myself questioning whether the Cooper was worth it over its detuned Mini One sibling, which is close to R70 000 less expensive.