Cooper S Coupe
Winding Road Issue 87 Is Now Available!
This month, we take three turbo sprites—the Fiat 500 Abarth, Hyundai Veloster Turbo, and Mini Cooper S Coupe—and pit them against one another to determine our favorite. Plus, we pack a bunch of other automotive content in this issue.
Comparison: 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth vs. 2012 Mini Cooper S Coupe vs. 2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo
A few years ago, we put together a comparison pitting four of our favorite hot hatches against one another. Now, in 2012, we have a new generation of fast, turbocharged hatchbacks that deserve a close look. One brand, the winner from the last test—Mini—is represented here again, this time in the Mini Cooper S Coupe. Also in the race is the new Fiat 500 Abarth, which has garnered a lot of attention from the media and the public. Finally, we threw in the Hyundai Veloster Turbo, which we think is both an interesting and exciting candidate, even if it hasn’t had much time to make a name for itself.
Comfort/Involvement Index: 2012 Mini Cooper S Coupe
Besides the carryover powertrains, the Mini Coupe features added structural bracing for a stiffer chassis and better feedback. The result is the best handling Mini outside of the John Cooper Works models. In the bends, the Coupe feels even stiffer, with a quick-rotating nature that is also progressive in the way that it comes on. A revised shape promises better aero, a higher top speed, and fresh looks.
Long-Term Car: Public Perception And The Mini Coupe
The sheer level of attention for this car is more impressive than in any other Mini I’ve driven. People are intrigued by it, because it’s a serious deviation from a shape that’s become quite familiar over the past decade.
Long-Term Car: Windy City Road Trip
Some days ago, my wife Catheryn and I packed a night’s worth of luggage (some clothes, an air mattress and pump, snacks for the road) into the Mini and took off for Chicago to meet up with our friends Michael and Dina for a concert.
Long-Term Car: The Mini’s Snow Tires Get Tested
Finally, we’d have a proper test of our Michelin Primacy Alpin winter tires. I pulled out of work to dry weather on that Friday afternoon, and made it home in record time (people, hearing there was snow on the way, must have ditched work early to avoid a slow-go on the way home). I parked the car, and waited.
Long-Term Car Video: 2012 Mini Cooper S Coupe At The Sno*Drift Rally
When we first got our long-term Mini Cooper S Coupe, our editors spent one week behind the wheel, familiarizing themselves with the new two-seater. Impressions were generally positive, as we each applauded the handling and power of the car, along with some of its other idiosyncrasies.
Long-Term Car: Our Mini Gets Its Snow Shoes
As Editor-In-Chief Miersma mentioned in the first impressions of our long-term 2012 Mini Cooper S Coupe, winter rubber will be a must-have for our loaner. Having arrived with a set of Continental ContiProContacts, we certainly weren’t prepared to tackle even the mild winter we’ve had so far, so the quest began to find a suitable set of snow shoes.
Model Evolution: The Mini
It’s been said that the original Volkswagen GTI is the world’s first hot hatch. Respecfully, we disagree. The original Mini, especially in Cooper and Cooper S guises, has been terrorizing the bigger cars of the world for almost 50 years, starting with the first Mini Cooper back in 1961.
Long-Term Car: 2012 Mini Cooper S Coupe First Impressions
After our first driving experience with the new Mini Coupe, you can probably imagine our delight when we found out we’d be able to get a Cooper S Coupe in for a long-term test. Historically our long-term coverage of cars has lead to better and deeper understanding of the models (no surprise there), and I don’t know that we’ve ever had anything as interesting to drive and as controversial to our audience as the Coupe for the long haul. Our year with Mini should prove to be filled with debate, at the very least.
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.
Winding Road Issue 75 Is Now Available!
In the newest issue, we take the new Range Rover Evoque Coupe up mountains, on- and off-road. This new crossover has a lot to offer. Plus, we test and rate a host of other cars in Winding Road Issue 74.
Driven: 2012 Mini Cooper S Coupe
This car takes Mini’s trademark go-kart handling to another level. Minis already deliver the majority of feedback through the suspension, and that is no different on the Coupe. But it’s the way that information is transmitted that really impresses. The two-seater uses a torsion wall, which runs between the seats and trunk, and connects to the B-pillars and rocker panels. This keeps the Coupe structurally rigid, while having the happy effect of transmitting the cars lateral motion right behind the driver’s gluteus maximus. This front-drive Mini delivers an almost mid-engine sensation of feedback, as the majority of weight passes extremely close to the driver.
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