I remember it vividly. The feeling when I got behind the wheel of a R53 MINI Cooper S for the first time. The supercharged 1.6 liter engine grabbed my attention. Instant pull in all six gears; the whine through the rev range was intoxicating. A nudge from the steering under acceleration in 2nd and 3rd gear was enough to remind you which wheels were doing the driving. After stepping into its successor, the R56 Cooper S, the thrill was gone.
Part II
Much has been written about the expansion of the MINI brand since the demise of the R50 Cooper and R53 Cooper S in 2006 (the convertible R52 variant lived on until 2008). First came the Clubman. Then the Coupe and Roadster. Then the Paceman and Countryman. And finally, the 5-door MINI. Having trouble keeping track? It was never going to be an easy task to replace an icon that stayed virtually static since 1959, but somehow, noted car designer Frank Stephenson succeeded. The new MINI that debuted in 2001 was, of course, larger and heavier than the original. However, it was smaller than almost everything on the road at that time, including the Volkswagen New Beetle. The MINI was an instant sales success. As it has evolved, the MINI has grown larger. In the process, it's become a bit less visceral. Rumors have now started swirling that Stephenson is slated to rejoin MINI. Is this a sign from MINI brass admitting they went astray?
2002 MINI Cooper: one of the very first imported
I'm not out to bash the new MINIs. Rather, I'm indifferent towards them. Within the makeup of MINI owners, two camps have seemingly formed over the last decade. Those who are accepting of all models and those who are R50/R52/R53 purists. I'm probably a part of the latter group, simply because I'm content with my R53 and have yet to find a more entertaining option. I've run a 2006 Cooper S for the last seven years, having found a low mileage example with the all-important 6-speed manual gearbox on a used car lot in Pennsylvania. This car had been on my mind for years, as my father had purchased one of the very first R50 Coopers to be imported to the US in 2002. In the first few months of owning the MINI, I remember we couldn't go anywhere in that car without being mobbed. Everyone wanted to see, hear and touch the new MINI. It wasn't only eye-catching, but a rather good drive, too.
Where the fascination began: Austin 850
The family MINI fixation didn't begin there. Years ago, my father purchased an Austin Mini 850 with a good friend of his. Their plan was to go racing, but life circumstances took over and the project fell by the wayside. Ultimately, the Mini wound up rusting away next to a garage in suburban Philadelphia. I remember seeing that very Mini when I was only three years old and became enamored with this cheeky little car. Perhaps it was because I was almost as tall as the roofline. It was a car seemingly sized for a little kid like me. This could be the reasoning behind my excitement when the new MINI hit US shores in 2002.
Before discussing the new MINI, though, one must take a look at the original to understand where the inspiration came from. It's hard to comprehend just how revolutionary this little box was. The design was a direct response to fuel shortages stemming from the Suez Crisis of the 1950s. Leonard Lord, President of the British Motor Corporation (BMC) tasked a small team headed up by Sir Alec Issigonis to develop a "proper miniature car." The car would have to be ten feet in length, with eight-and-a-half feet dedicated to passenger and cargo space. To do this, the Mini would employ a transversely mounted 848 cc inline-4 cylinder engine that would drive the front wheels. The gearbox would be integrated as to share the engine lubrication. The wheels would be pushed out to the corners to help maximize interior space. This was a sophisticated package for its time. Few manufacturers, short of Citroën, would try something so daring.
"A Series of Early Sketches for the Morris Minor"
Genesis
No one would have suspected it, but when it debuted, the Mini became a formidable basis for a competition vehicle. John Cooper, friend of Issigonis and builder of Formula One race cars, developed a performance-oriented version of the Mini and christened it the Mini Cooper. Famous for its Monte Carlo Rally wins in 1964, 1965, and 1967, the Mini Cooper became the darling of the weekend racer set. Useful for everything from rallying to autocross, it's not uncommon to see original Minis battling it out on a course to this day. This shouldn't be surprising. The last example of the original Mini rolled off the assembly line in October 2000, shortly before the new MINI arrived on the scene.
Action shot
Champ
Manchester runabout: Mini of the '90s
The original Mini was so long-lived that it survived under four different management regimes. Conceived by BMC, British Leyland took over stewardship in the late 1960s. The baton would pass to the Austin Rover Group in the 1980s which evolved into Rover Group Ltd. At this time, it was decided to keep production humming along, such was the popularity of this classic. BMW would acquire the Rover Group in 1994. The writing was on the wall. With increasing safety and emissions regulations, plans for a new Mini were drawn up. Looking back, we can clearly see that the MINI brand was the jewel in the Rover crown, but did BMW realize it at the time? One can only speculate.
BMW hit a home run with the reborn MINI. Sales were brisk, which was quite remarkable considering that traditional advertising channels such as television were eschewed. Instead, non-traditional advertising has been exploited, such as annual owner road trips and marketing stunts like the "Mini vs. Porsche" challenge where the sports car manufacturer was challenged to a race. Maybe the MINIs popularity shouldn't have been surprising. While many manufacturers was dabbling in retro designs at the turn of the century, this was one of the few retro cars that was also a cracker to drive.
And then there were two
Three decades since the Austin Mini 850 left my father's grasp, an R50 Cooper and R53 Cooper S have been mainstays in the family. Each car has experienced some issues, such as a weeping oil pan on the R50 and the failure of a cooling fan on the R53. With regular maintenance, though, these two cars have asked for little and have been reliable motoring companions. The R53 Cooper S has certainly been the most trouble-free vehicle I've ever owned.
As a car ages, one starts to think of a replacement for their steed. To be honest, I haven't considered replacing my 2006 Cooper S with anything from the current MINI lineup. The new F56 Cooper S is a perfectly fine machine. It has plenty of power and wins the handling race against most anything it meets on the road or track. But this car misses the point. A MINI should be mini. Period. The current MINI hardtop and convertibles are still smaller than most anything else on the road, but they are positively bloated in comparison to the original Mini.
Besides the size, some of the styling details of the new F56 seem a bit too fussy. The tail lamps are out of proportion with the car's size and the bonnet height and length have increased too much; a direct result of European pedestrian safety standards. What we've seen happen to the MINI lineup we've seen elsewhere. With added safety standards and technology, cars get bigger and weight piles on. But if BMC could reinvent the idea of a small car in the late 1950s, BMW can do it again today.
Evolution
I still get a smile on my face every time I get behind the wheel of my R53. Ultimately, that is the litmus test for a car worth holding on to. Having driven a few of the newer MINIs, I'm assured none of them give me that same feeling. There's a purity to Frank Stephenson's design and the sensation one gets after each journey. If the rumors are true and he is headed back to MINI, perhaps we'll see a part III and a return to masterful, small car design.
R53 on holiday
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Comments (1)
Great article.