The MINI Cooper S receives a new engine, and this is the one to go for if you prefer your go-kart handling with an extra shot of rocket fuel. The 2.0-liter I-4 now makes 189 hp compared to 181 hp in the model it replaces, while torque output grows from 177 lb-ft in the old Cooper S to 207 lb-ft.
Overboost can kick that up to 221 lb-ft, but the 0 to 60 times of 6.5 seconds with a manual transmission or 6.4 seconds with an automatic are plenty. Once again, EPA figures aren't out for the Cooper S, but Mini estimates that it'll do 23 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway in the manual version of the Cooper S, and 28 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway in the automatic, so just a tad less than its three-cylinder sibling.
Every new MINI has 3 driving modes you can switch on the fly. For extra punch, use Sport Mode to automatically adjust your shift points and suspension settings for a stiffer, sportier ride, especially when equipped with Variable Damper Control. For a more comfortable, fuel-efficient ride, switch into Green Mode. With a softer suspension, tweaked shift points and a coasting feature that disengages the transmission when your foot’s off the gas, Green Mode maximizes every last bit of engine efficiency and kinetic energy for downright miserly fuel consumption. And when you want best of both worlds, kick it into mid-mode for a happy motoring medium.
The new Hardtop just wouldn’t be a MINI if it didn’t deliver our legendary go-kart handling. So you’ll still find all four wheels pushed to the corners for our signature bulldog stance and impeccable front-to-back weight balance. For even tighter control, the new Variable Damper Control (VDC) option lets you adjust suspension stiffness. So whether you want a softer, more fuel-efficient ride or a stiffer, corner-devouring one, the VDC happily complies.
Our navigation doesn't just talk to you — it talks to your automatic transmission. This optional feature uses GPS to pinpoint your location, analyze intersections and curves in the road ahead, and then relays that to your transmission to pre-select gear changes for optimal performance
How do you make parallel parking a MINI even easier? You teach it to park it itself. This optional premium technology uses ultra sonic sensors to size up a potential parking spot and make sure your MINI can fit. Then, if there’s room to squeeze in, the system will partner with the Park Distance Control to take over and steer the car into place. All you have to do is work the gas and brake when the system prompts you.
Sure the new MINI’s body is noticeably more muscular, with stout definition around the wheels and a trim profile. But it’s still every bit the punchy pint-sized powerhouse with short overhangs and a bulldog stance that made being little kind of a huge deal. And ultimately, it’s really only bigger where it counts – in the cockpit – for even more interior leg, shoulder, and cargo room.