From Motortrend.com no less. Something us normally aspirated MINI Cooper drivers already know. For the rest of you.
By my estimate, there are at least four basic cars every driving enthusiast should aspire to really drive at least once in their life. By "really drive," I don’t mean cruising by to show off in front of people you don’t really like, so unattainable (to the average layperson) exotics are out. The first of the four is the Mazda MX-5, aka the Miata, because it has kept to its driving-focused roots for more than two decades, and the popular spec-racing series must be doing something right. The second is the Chevrolet Corvette, and contrary to popular Internet opinion, it doesn’t matter if the letter Z isn’t found anywhere in the ‘Vette’s name. The third is the Porsche 911, driven to reveal what the Corvette-911 rivalry has been all about all these years. A base model will more than suffice, and the more rearward the engine is located, the more unique the experience. And as you’ve likely already deduced, the fourth car is the agile Mini Cooper, preferably in the same configuration you’re reading about now.
Sure the S is faster in a straight line, but for overall motoring, the Cooper does just fine thankyouverymuch.
Absolutely. And it looks better too IMHO without the hole in the bonnet. People are free to decide for themselves, but I have never understood the perceived need for all those extra horsepower in a car this small. The Cooper has plenty of get up and go for the way most people drive. And that goes for the Coupe I just bought too. :-)