Long Term Car: 2012 Mini Cooper S Coupe

With the dawn of a new year just behind us, we decided it was high time we got another long-term tester into the office. This time around, we snagged a 2012 Mini Cooper S Coupe for a whopping 366 days. That’s right, we’ll be driving this Mini through the snows of February, the ice of April, the humidity of August, and the changing colors of October, as we take it on road trips both far and wide.

 

First, though, the essentials. Since we snagged a Cooper S, we’ve got 181 horsepower at our disposal, courtesy of a turbocharged, 1.6-liter four-cylinder. Those ponies are sent to the front wheels via a six-speed manual transmission.

 

Besides the fun powertrain, our tester also has its fair share of options. Our Mini is Eclipse Gray with a black roof and black stripes. Black, seventeen-inch, five-spoke “Bullet” wheels and black headlight housings give the exterior some extra visual punch, as well. The interior is finished in Polar Beige Gravity Leather, while the dash treatment is piano black with a Polar Beige color line. Other optional equipment includes the $500 sport suspension (an item that is sure to cause conflict on our rough Michigan roads over the next year), a Harman-Kardon stereo, the $1500 Sport Package (xenon headlights, Dynamic Traction Control, white turn-signal lights, and the aforementioned wheels), and finally the $1750 Mini Connected Navigation system (Voice command, Mini Connected infotainment system, Bluetooth and USB/iPod hookup, and navigation). All tallied, our Mini would require a check for $32,400 to take home.

 

If you haven’t read our first drive of the Mini Coupe, be sure to check it out right here. In the meantime, use this area for comments and questions, and we’ll get back to you with answers, experiences, and entries from our logbook. There are plenty of pics of our new Mini in the gallery, along with a copy of the car’s Monroney (window sticker). Keep an eye out for more coverage of our new Mini Cooper S Coupe over the next 12 months.

 

Engine: Turbocharged four-cylinder, 1.6 liters, 16v

Output: 181 hp/177 lb-ft

Weight: 2679 lb

Fuel Economy, City/Hwy: 27/35 mpg

Base Price: $24,600

As Tested: $32,400