library of motoring » MINI Cooper S

Grassroots Motorsports: MINI Cooper Buyer’s Guide

James — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:00:10 +0000

The December 2011 issue of Grassroots Motorsports magazine is out now and it contains a complete MINI Cooper buyer’s guide. The article begins with a brief history of BMW’s acquisition of Mini to create the MINI brand. It covers the early years of the MINI in the US. One table lists the year-by-year changes from 2002 to 2006.

Getting to the actual buyer’s guide, the advice covers the first-generation Cooper (R50) and Cooper S (R53) models. The author enlists the help of MINI aftermarket vendors including Sneed’s Speed Shop, Mini Mania, and Way Motor Works. For example, here’s Way Hunsucker on engine mounts:

Hunsucker recommends examining the engine mounts on any used MINI. “The passenger-side mounts on all years go bad. The later ones, anything mid-’04 and on, has basically a metal can, and the fluid will leak out—that’s how you tell if it’s bad. The earlier ones are rubber but still fluid-filled. They get short as they age and that tears the other mounts.” Polyurethane replacements are available.

The guide covers:

Body and Interior
Engine and Drivetrain
Suspension and Brakes

collectible of the day: Product Selling Points (November 2004)

James — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 07:00:51 +0000

When MINI USA wants to inform the dealerships of new products, the company issues Product Selling Points brochures. This one from November 2004 covers two new products for the 2005 MINI Cooper S.

Product Selling Points
November 2004

MINI COOPER S WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.
MINI COOPER S WITH LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL.

Inside, the stapled, 12 page brochure covers the features of the automatic transmission and limited slip differential (LSD) on a “test rally” by Finnish rallying legend Rauno Aaltonen. Quotes by Rauno Aaltonen on the products are mixed with product descriptions, feature lists, and technical specifications.

The brochure Order No. is 05-Sauto.

MINI Cooper S vs. Citroën DS3 vs. Alfa Romeo MiTo

James — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 21:00:32 +0000

Yet another comparison of the MINI Cooper S and the Citroen DS3, this time with the Alfa Romeo MiTo thrown in. Unlike previous comparisons, the MINI doesn’t come out on top in Auto Express‘s tests.

The [Cloverleaf] name features on the latest range-topping MiTo, which is powered by a 170bhp version of the Italian company’s new 1.4-litre MultiAir engine. But the MiTo Cloverleaf has a really tough job on its hands – because it goes head-to-head with the MINI Cooper S. And the Alfa isn’t the only newcomer with the retro-styled, British-built model in its sights.

We have already been impressed by the Citroen DS3 after a 118bhp version ran the lesser MINI Cooper close on its road test debut in Issue 1,103. Here, we test the more powerful DSport model, which promises to be a serious contender for honours. But does that spell bad luck for the four-leaf Alfa Romeo?

Read the rest of MiTo Cloverleaf vs. rivals.

collectible of the day: MINI brochure (2002)

James — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 07:00:46 +0000

Today we go back to 2002 for another launch-era MINI USA collectible.

Pictured is the first US MINI models brochure for the MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S. The thick, 26 page glossy brochure lists the features of the MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S models with several fold-out pages and four translucent pages.

MINI colors shown: Jet Black, Chili Red, Liquid Yellow, Cosmos Black, Dark Silver, Pure Silver, British Racing Green, Silk Green, Electric Blue, Indi Blue.

The brochure is marked BRO 02-01.

Citroen DS3 vs. MINI Cooper S stunt driving challenge

James — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 23:00:39 +0000

Much has already been written comparing the new Citroën DS3 to the MINI Cooper S, but Auto Express actually puts both cars through a stunt driving challenge to compare how the two really perform.

Citroen reckons its DS3 has what it takes to go head-to-head with MINI. That means it not only has to look cool but must also be agile enough to put a smile on your face. And so we decided to put the range-topping turbo DS3 D Sport 150THP against a MINI Cooper S round a stunt track at Rockingham Motor Speedway in Northamptonshire.

Read the rest of Citroen DS3 150THP vs MINI Cooper S stunt driving challenge or view the video below:

collectible of the day: John Cooper Works Tuning Kit MINI Cooper S brochure

James — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 08:00:23 +0000

In 2003, John Cooper Works released the first tuning kit for the R53 MINI Cooper S. It was strictly a dealer-installed accessory and included a JCW cylinder head, exhaust system, engine calibration, supercharger, and badges.

This eight-page brochure from the UK and printed in March 2003 gives some background information on John and Mike Cooper, describes the parts of the tuning kit, and displays the performance gains.

Download the John Cooper Works Tuning MINI Cooper S brochure.

website: R53 MINI Cooper S link archive

James — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 05:10:15 +0000

If you have an first-generation MINI Cooper S (R53) and need an index of websites about your MINI, take a look at SooperCooperinfo.com. Website links are grouped into categories such as Brakes, Electrical, Oil Change, Wheels, and many more. Within each category, links are listed by keywords (phrases, actually). Links point to many popular MINI blogs, forums, and vendors.

You can also follow them on Twitter.

Winding Road: Top Ten Performance Bargains

James — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:08:23 +0000

Winding Road magazine listed its top 10 performance bargains and naturally a MINI made the list. They chose the MINI Cooper S hardtop in the seventh spot saying “For only $23,000, we’re hard pressed to think of a bargain performer as totally chuckable as the Cooper S. It may be small and may only have 172 horsepower, but you can really drive it as hard as any other car in this list and still feel rewarded. Plus, every Mini comes standard with a healthy dose of hipster style, making it track- and fashion-friendly (Gaucho pants not included).”

The list:

Cadillac CTS-V
Hyundai Genesis Coupe
Mazda MX-5
Nissan GT-R
Ford Shelby GT500
Jaguar XF Supercharged
MINI Cooper S
Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8
Mazdaspeed3
Chevrolet Corvette ZR1