Six Months In

Its been nearly Six months with the volcanic orange Cooper S. Those six months for me have been eventful, to say the least. However my little (it was small once) puppy dog of a car has been a shining light through it all. As a daily driver it has been superb, if not incredibly juicy. As a weekend car it has been amazing, on the few chances I have had to open the tap, I still giggle with excitement. But that can wait till later.

Daily Driver

As a daily driver its excellent, classic Minis were renown for there nippiness in traffic and manoeuvrability. Considering how big the BMW Mini has grown, it is still incredibly manoeuvrable and nippy. Though the nippiness I put down to the fact that my car has a 2.0 litre engine. Parking is a dream, aided by rear parking sensors. Which now after living with it for half a year, are actually a good option to chose. The main issue is petrol, you will use a lot of it. I average 35.5 MPG, which is a long way from the 48.7 quoted by Mini. However it is slightly higher than the real MPG quoted by Honest John on the internet. The real issue here is it feels like you are using more than you actually are, to put it simply the fuel tank is to small. The range computer says I get about 326 miles, at about £50 a tank. This is using standard petrol, I hate to think how much it would cost me to use premium. Now before you say well if you use premium it will go up, I use the recommend fuel on the filler cap.

Other than petrol and parking, the Cooper S is a comfortable and relatively quiet car. Able to deliver you to work with out a bad back and sweating your gentleman region off. The seats are both supportive and relaxing. The automatic climate control works wonders, especially now Britain has forgotten it isn’t a mediterranean island. The boot leaves a bit to be desired but I did manage to fit a small fire pit in it, admittedly I did have to fold the rear seats down. But over all it is a fantastic daily driver with enough space in the boot for your lunch.

Weekend Car

Flick the car in to sport, the centre dial glows red, sport mode appears on the I-drive system, your in for some fun. Everything stiffens, the steerings heavier and more precise, the throttle response improves, the exhaust derestricts and crackles and pops. The S on the Cooper S is now alive. The reason I brought this car was precisely for these moments. Not a daily driver, not fuel economy and certainly not boot size. These weekend drives to no where in particular, however this weekend it was to sunny Hastings. Sat nav set to alternative route, no M25 for me thank you, it was time to open those taps. Along with my trusty co-pilot, alright my younger brother, we was off on what would be and hour and a half of joy. With Dennis Lloyd’s Nevermind blaring, windows down we set off. The first issue came in the shape of an elderly driver who had a liking for his brake pedal and not going quick enough. He was easily dispatched going from 30 to 50 in mere seconds. Exhaust cracking away as I changed up a gear, smiles wider than ever on mine and Beniths faces. After that issue was dealt with, I got to grips with the country roads, inside white line and cats eyes being my apex’s. Storming down A road after A road like Germany Stormed straight out of the World Cup. Each roundabout dealt with like it was a section of Silverstone, this car then is a dream to drive. In sport mode it simply encourages you to push it (responsibly of course) to take each corner quicker and quicker. Not that I may add I broke any speed limits on my way to Hastings, well not that i’m aware of. The steering gives you confidence that I have only ever experienced in a Lamborghini before. You know exactly where the nose of the car is going and you sure as hell know where the rear is. When you do have to brake, the response is sharp and effective even after 80 miles of hooning it. I would advise caution though, they tend to lock when the road is wet and slippery as I found out to my expense. But arriving in Hasting with a wild grin on my face, and still very comfortable in the fantastic seats. I knew that six months prior I made the best decision of my life…