By Kevin Harrison

For my very first job I had the distinction of being recognized as an artist. Hold your astonished acclaim for me because I was the type of artist that had their title sown onto their shirt. That’s right, according to Subway, I was indeed a ‘Sandwich Artist’.

It was by no means a job I’d recommend to anyone, but it worked well for a gawky teenager still in high school – I didn’t come home with french fry grease all over me for instance, just the undesirable smell of onions and pickles. But I did meet a lot of interesting characters, not least of which was a regular who came by every day for lunch.

This woman intrigued me because at no point during my sandwich artist days was I ever able to figure her out, mainly because of what she always ordered.

She always requested a footlong veggie and, believe it or not, all she got on it was cheese, extra mayo and about half our container of olives. That’s it. My fellow sandwich artists would always be disgusted by her order, but I was just more dumbfounded. Why would anyone get just one toping when you can get unlimited topings at no extra cost?

This happens from time to time in the car world too and BMW has lately dabbled in the same sort of puzzling territory. When the X6 first debuted my immediate thought was why would someone want a less practical more expensive X5?

And now they’ve gone and done it again with their Mini brand with the Cooper coupe. Why would anyone want a less practical more expensive Mini? I drove one to find out.

The thing with modernizing retro designs is that you can only do so much before upsetting the fan base. As such, it’s clear BMW didn’t want to alienate said base as they’ve essentially kept the Cooper’s front end, different coloured roof and similar tail lights for the coupe, all while completely distinguishing it completely with a much lower roof line, a noticeably lowered stance and distinguished 17 inch wheels.

This is a much sportier looking car which is what a coupe is supposed to convey, but it can look awkward from certain angles with that arake backside. It’s almost as if BMW didn’t really know what to do with the back of the car so they just stopped trying. Regardless, there is no design like it today and as a result it certainly generates lots of stares, which I’m sure was helped by my tester’s bright red paint. For the most part they were stares of admiration and they largely came from middle aged women – a market I’m sure BMW did not intend to penetrate when they conjured up the Cooper coupe. I’m still not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing.

Inside everything is very much familiar to Mini fans as everything is largely unchanged from the regular cooper. A few sporty black accents can be found along with typical high quality materials and a quirky centre stack layout.

If you are claustrophobic run far away from the Cooper coupe. The regular Cooper was by no means stadium-like inside but the large windows helped to open up the cabin, whereas the coupe’s low roof and shapely design means not much outside light gets in and, as a result, outward visibility can be difficult when checking blind spots or looking through the tiny rear windshield (which by the way is so sloped that it could really use a rear wiper). While a rear back-up camera could be helpful, the coupe is still easy to park due to its hasty size.

That low sloping roof means sacrificing the two rear seats found in the regular Cooper so the coupe is less practical as well, however its saving grace is that the cargo area is actually bigger than the Mini Cooper hatchback. There is also a ski-pass through for larger items.

My tester gave itself away as the Cooper S model as evidenced by the two exhausts in the centre and the functional hood scoop which feeds air to the 1.6 litre four cylinder turbocharged engine. It produced 181 horsepower and 177 pound feet of torque. That amount of power in such a small package translates into some unintentional spirited driving. It’s hard not to take advantage of instant power available at low rpms, and the six-speed manual really helps you to take advantage. Shifts are fairly smooth, however the clutch can take some getting used to. There’s serious pull once you shift into second with virtually no torque steer to be found. At around 80 km/h an spoiler pops up automatically. While it impedes vision through the already small rear windshield, it is likely much appreciated to keep the coupe stable and from flying off the freeway. It’s possible to keep this spoiler stationary, but I imagine the coupe looks quite ridiculous with the spoiler up.

My tester also came with an optional sport package which includes 17 inch wheels, grippy tires and a firmer suspension. Let’s just say that if you can tolerate a stiff ride, make sure you check off this option.  If you don’t you’ll be missing out on having a ridiculously goofy grin on your face every time you take a corner. To say this thing is planted is an understatement to be sure. Those wheels being pushed out to the corners essentially means you can flog the Mini about with complete peace of mind. There is slight understeer when cornering at higher speeds, but it’s easily correctable. This is probably the most fun you’ll ever have in a car of this size short of a go-kart.

And that’s when it hit me. Mini built this coupe because it’s so crazy that you just have to love it. It’s a bit like, oh, I don’t know, ordering a sub with a just a mountain of olives on it from Subway. In fact, one day I actually asked her about her unusual choice. Her reply?

“Why not? Olives are the most flavorful thing you offer and it’s a bit of a rush to just eat a bunch at once. Besides, no one ever thinks to do it”

While you might be thinking to yourself ‘no one ever thinks to do it because it’s disgusting’, and truthfully you’re probably right, she does indeed have a point. If the most flavourful model in a manufacturer’s brand is dull, then you’re really doing it a disservice. The Cooper S coupe is easily one of the most radical thing that no other brand has thought to do. It is the most flavouful and it certainly gives you a rush. Who cares that it’s not as practical, perhaps not as good looking, or as cheap as a regular Cooper S. If you think that way, stick to your typical lettuce and mayo and buy the regular Cooper S. This car is not for your personality.

If, however, you are crazy like my regular olive-obsessed Subway customer, BMW is eagerly awaiting you at your local dealership with keys in hand to the Cooper S coupe. This is a niche market and BMW has filled it nicely. The only thing better? The John Cooper Works edition of the Cooper coupe. I can only assume that it is like ordering a sub with just jalepenos. The full monty.

Base Price: $31,150

Pros:

• One of the best handling front-wheel drive cars out there
• Peppy turbo
• High quality martials
• Eye-catching styling
• Unique exhaust note
• Good cargo capacity for its size

Cons:

• No rear seats
• Poor outward visibility
• Awkward looking from certain angles
• Bumpy ride, even over smooth surfaces

Overall: 9/10

No, the interior you’re looking at above is not a new BMW interior, it’s actually that of the next generation Mini Cooper.

The Mini’s current interior pays homage to the original Mini with a retro-styled large speedometer in the middle, along with some modern enhancements such as toggle switches and coloured interiors that match the exterior. The interior has always been quite polarizing and BMW is clearly listening to the nay-sayers.

Assuming this test mule spotted cold weather testing in the article circle isn’t some elaborute ruse to foil sneaky photogs, it seems the next generation is going to do away with the love it or hate it retro look in favour of a decidedly BMW-esque interior. BMW fans will recognize the familiar looking centre stack as well as the orange conservative styled gauges.

BMW has recently said that the next generation Mini will take on a more modern look, but it was unclear if this meant a more modern exterior or interior. This pic seems to at least confirm the latter.

[Photo credit: KGP Photography via Autoblog Canada]

By Kevin Harrison

There was once a time when the Mini Cooper was the smallest vehicle you could buy. The year was 1959 and everyone loved the original Mini for its small size, small price and its light, fun-to-drive nature. It was truly a British automotive success story.

The original Mini chugged on for a very long and unheard of 40 years without many changes save for special editions – a testament to the Mini’s appeal. Mini obviously didn’t want to mess about too much with a good thing. But all good things must come to an end and in 2000, production for the original Mini ceased with the brand moving quickly into hiatus as the sale of Rover, which Mini was a part of, was dealt to BMW. BMW then went and winded the Rover brand down.

However, BMW promised to keep the Mini brand alive with an all-new iteration of the Mini Cooper which officially bowed in 2002. The design was definitely polarizing for Mini purists, despite BMW’s effort to keep the design and spirit of the original. Most Mini maniacs had cried blasphemy at the new Mini’s size. While it was still a small car, it was much bigger than the original.

And here we are now with the biggest Mini ever produced. While the Mini Cooper is still selling well today, a common complaint from new customers to the brand was that it was too small for their needs. So, BMW then created a longer Mini with three doors called the Clubman, but it’s polarizing looks and remaining tight quarters kept potential Mini customers begging for something bigger.

Well, BMW listened and now we have the Mini Cooper Countryman – the first ever five-door Mini. Does it have what it takes to wear the Mini badge?

While there is no mistaking the Countryman for anything but a Mini, the styling is still quite the departure for the brand. With the taller ride height, a not quite so flat roof and more shapely headlights than the traditional ovals, the Countryman is a a bit odd looking for a Mini from certain angles. It’s definitely the more quirkier designed model of the Mini family. It’s a look that takes a bit of getting used to, but eventually it charms you into feeling quite comfortable with the looks. Besides, it’s no stranger looking than a Nissan Juke, that’s for sure. That said, it is a looker, but I’m not quite so sure that it’s for the right reasons. Most of the looks on people’s faces were confused double takes rather than glances of admiration. One thing I do miss is the integrated hood scoop that the S model gets for the Cooper and Clubman. The Countryman S does get an additional air intake but it’s located in a small slit under the grille, not in the form of a hood scoop. This takes a bit of the aggressiveness that most Mini S models usually convey.

Inside the quirkiness continues as the Countryman is officially a four-seater thanks to a rail that runs through the center of the interior. You can attach things like a sunglasses case and this, supposedly, makes the Countryman more practical. In reality, more practical would be having a seat in the middle. Still, there is adequate leg room back there and the seats are cushy and comfortable. The dash layout is almost exactly the same as the Cooper with the large speedometer in the centre which, by the way I never looked at once to determine how fast I was going, I chose to use the optional digital speedometer in a smaller gauge behind the steering wheels which is more conventional. Touches of black where polished aluminum used to be gives the Countryman a more sporty look. While the layout takes some getting used to, the quality of materials is superb. There is ample cargo room with the seats up, and that space grows to 41 cubic feet of space with the rear seats down, which is actually more space than in a 5-door Volkswagen Golf.

Power comes from a 1.6 litre turbocharged 4 cylinder capable of making 181 horsepower and 177 pound foot torque. The unit uses a single-scroll turbocharger and has an over-boost feature which essentially gives the Countryman S 192 pound foot torque when the throttle is wide open. 0-100 takes 7.7 seconds with the All4 all-wheel drive and 6-speed automaker that my tester was equipped with. If you opt for a front wheel drive Countryman S with a manual transmission you can shave close to a second off that time. There is some slight turbo lag when trying to get the Countryman going from a stand still.

The thing is, though, the All4 system does an excellent job at keeping the heavy (compared to a regular Cooper) planted. Without it, I’d wager there would be much more understeer in the corners. With that said, handling is quite good, despite the raised ride height. You can’t push it as much as you could a Cooper S, but it’s still respectable and feels every bit like tossing a Mini into a corner should. Find a nice twisty road and the Countryman will feel right at home – as any Mini family member should.

While the shifts in my tester’s automatic gearbox were crisp, a slight delay could be detected and thus, mildly took away from the driving experience. Do yourself a favour and get the Countryman with a proper six-speed manual gearbox. The Countryman S All4 is one of few crossovers that offer a manual transmission with all-wheel drive, so make sure to take advantage of this rare set-up.

So, the Countryman overall is quite deserving to wear the Mini badge. It has all the right ingredients: quirkiness, agility, fun to drive and good on gas. With that said, there is something missing that I can’t quite put my finger on. When you drive a Mini Cooper S, you honestly feel like you’re 7 years old again driving a go-kart only this time on public roads. When you get into the Countryman you feel like a grown up driving a capable grown up’s car. It’s almost like the Mini Cooper S is a kid who gets excited to go to school that day because it’s show and tell, while the Countryman S All4 is a grown up excited to go to work because he has a lunch meeting that day with a prospective and lucrative client. Both exciting, but both in very different ways.

My personal thought is that the Countryman is definitely a worthy competitor in the segment, which likely consists of the Volkswagen Tiguan and the Nissan Juke, but the novelty and the soul of a Mini product is lacking slightly. However, Mini owners that just plain need more space and practicality now have something worthy enough of keeping them in the brand. The only question is, what is the point of the Clubman now?

Base Price: $34,400

Pros:

• Peppy engine
• Excellent handling abilities, despite added weight and ride height
• High quality materials
• Quirky Mini interior and exterior design remain
• Available all-wheel drive with manual transmission
• Good cargo capacity

Cons:

• Automatic transmission a bit delayed when shifting
• A bit of turbo lag
• Only a four seater
• Steep price, especially when options are piled on

Overall: 8/10

It’s finally here: the 2012 Mini Cooper Coupe.

BMW has taken the wraps off the newest member of the Mini family and it promises to stay true to Mini roots, which is of course, fun. How much fun? Well BMW says it is the fastest from the factory Mini ever. And with some unique style to boot. The Coupe loses the rear seats to allow for a much lower roof line. This creates a “three-box” design which is a first for the Mini brand. While the front facia may seem very familiar, the rear design is quite the departure with accentuated hips which includes a retractable, usable rear spoiler. At speeds below 60 km/h the spoiler stays hidden, but above 80 km/h the spoiler shows its face. Unlike most spoilers on the market, this one is actually fairly functional as it keeps the the Cooper Coupe’s rear and planted at highway speeds. Although in reality, you would need to achieve autobahn type speeds in order to actually lift the Cooper Coupe’s rear end.

The Cooper Coupe will come in three iterations: the Cooper Coupe, The Cooper S Coupe and the John Cooper works Coupe. All will used differently tuned versions of the 1.6 litre four cylinder currently found in the Mini Cooper. The former will get 122 horsepower and 118 pound feet of torque with a 0-100 time of 8.3 seconds. The mid-level Cooper S Coupe will get 181 horsepower and 177 pound foot torque with a 0-100 sprint of 6.5 seconds while the John Cooper Works Coupe will take 6.1 seconds from 0-100 using 208 horsepower and 192 pound foot torque.

The new Cooper Coupe, like it’s hatched brother, can also handle like the dickens thanks to enhanced body rigidity and weight balance.

Prices have yet to be set, but expect to pay a bit of a premium over the regular Mini Cooper.

For more pics, click here.

[Mini]

This is apparently what you get when you have two Canadian fashion designers and tell them to make something of a Mini Cooper S. Dan and Dean Caten apparently envisioned an offroading Mini – one obviously more capable than the Countryman. As such this fashionable Mini, dubbed “Red Mudder” is the first Cooper to get Mini’s All4 all-wheel drive system. This may even plant the idea in Mini’s proverbial head to bring the system over to the Cooper family down the road. In addition to All4, the Red Mudder gets a raised suspension, bush guards, rally lights, tinted windows, off-road capable tires (with a hatch mounted spare) and an aluminum plated interior. Since the Catens are apparently quite patriotic, they also put their signature maple leaf on the door and on the headrests of the Red Mudder.

The Catens, who also go by Dsquared, had the opportunity to put their fashion talents to work as a part of Mini’s 11 year sponsorship of the Life Ball initiative which is essentially a European AIDS/HIV fundraiser. Other designers to have the honours over the years include Versace, Kenneth Cole, Diesel and Calven Klein.

The Red Mudder will be auctioned off with proceeds going towards the cause.

Congrats guys, looks awesome!

[Autoblog]

The Fiat 500, a relative newcomer and arguably the only true competitor to the Mini Cooper, has been for sale on our shores now for the past few months. It is also Fiat’s first model for sale in North America in decades and it takes aim squarely at the offering from Britain Germany. The Mini Cooper has been for sale in Canada for close to a decade now and has been doing well since its introduction. It’s no secret that Canadians love hatchbacks and we love micro hatchbacks even more. So the question is, who is the sales leader so far?

Well the Fiat 500 has sold 889 units. The Mini Cooper’s sales over the same period were 475. Looks like the 500 has taken an early lead. This is likely due to the hype surrounding the return of Fiat, its low starting price and the strong marketing campaigns. In fact, it’s reported that the 500′s success in North America is so important that it’s delaying (possibly indefinitely) Lancia badged Chryslers from crossing the pond.

Chrysler is heavily relying on our market specifically for the 500′s success and it looks like it’s paying off as the 500 even beat U.S 500 sales by 7 units. That doesn’t seem like all that much, but it’s extraordinarily rare that any model from any brand outsells the U.S sales.

Things are looking good so far. Will Chrysler be able to maintain those sales once the hype dies down? I’ll have to get a review of the 500 up quite soon. Getting one to drive seems to be easier said than done, however. Stay tooned.

[BMW Canada, Chrysler Canada]

About a month ago the Mini Cooper Roadster was caught out and a bout and now its hard topped brother has been caught doing this same. This can only mean that we are ever closer to seeing a production version of the two concepts, which were technically close to production ready in the first place. Autoblog’s stealth photog was able to snap this shot that confirms the production version won’t stray far from the concept.

The rumoured engine for the coupe is the same 1.6 litre turbo four cylinder that can be found under the hood of the current John Cooper Works Edition Mini Cooper, meaning it produces 211 horsepower and 192 pound feet of torque. The rumour also indicated that the roadster’s engine would be tamed somewhat to 175 horses and 177 pound foot torque. Given that the current Cooper S generates 181 horsepower, I’d wager that’s no longer true.

The coupe will also get, according to the photos, a retractable spoiler which is great for when it’s not needed i.e it’s a functional spoiler unlike 90% of spoilers out there today.

The coupe and roadster are expected to be revealed quite soon with the coupe going into production this fall ahead of the roadster.

[Autoblog]

Autoblog has caught a very close to production Mini Roadster (rumoured to be called the Speedster) out and about.

It clearly has a low slung shape along with an added active spoiler. It’s not much of a looker with the top up, but it will likely look pretty good with it down. Expect power to come from the Cooper S’s 1.6 litre engine which produces 181 horsepower along with a JCW version with 208 horsepower.

A coupe version is also coming  that’s expected to have the same power and is actually supposed to be lighter than the already light Cooper. It should look way better than the convertible too.

The coupe is actually expected to be available in the fall ahead of the convertible.

[Autoblog]

Andreas Mueller apparently would go pretty far.

Mueller, originally from Germany, heard about a contest a local radio station was having where the grand prize would be a free Mini Cooper. The way to win the contest was to do the most craziest stunt in order to get the car.

Mueller ended up winning the contest because he came up with the idea to tattoo the word “Mini” on his gentleman part. Seriously.

“Once I’m sitting in the car, it won’t matter anymore. The pain will be gone and it’ll be alright”, said Mueller.

Obviously that is the most tremendously painful area to get a tattoo (as evidenced by his facial expression in the picture), but did Mueller consider how this might affect his um, love life? I mean he’d constantly have to explain to his dates that the word ‘mini’ isn’t referring to his genitals but rather his car. And then he’d have to explain why he did it. And then he’d have to explain to the waiter that it’ll just be a table for one because the girl would surely run away at that point.

I don’t think I could do it. I mean, it’s just a regular Cooper, not even a Cooper S!

Would you tattoo the word Mini on your genitals to get a free Cooper?

[Anorak]

This year’s engine of the year award winners are full of repeat winners and a few surprises.

The first big surprise is the Nissan LEAF winning this award. Mostly because it doesn’t even have an engine, it’s has an electric motor only. What was Ward’s reasoning? Apparently since the LEAF feels like a regular car (i.e four doors, five seats, an accelerator and brake) it deserves this award. That’s like saying since Stephen Harper has arms, legs and a face he should win a beauty contest.

Another big surprise is the engine/electric motor set up in the Chevy Volt. With the electric motor primarily propelling the car, it’s a wonder why it’s on the list. Ward’s sites reasons similar to the LEAF for its choice.

But despite those odd choices, the one that shocked me the most was Chrysler’s 3.6 litre Pentastar V6 making the list. This has been a traditionally awful engine. Just terrible. However since Fiat has taken the reigns, it appears they have put some work into this engine making it much better. It can be found in the 2011 Dodge Avenger and Chrysler 200.

Volvo also picked up an award for the 3.0 litre inline six that it uses in the redesigned S60. Ward’s says this engine almost rivals BMW’s 3.0 I-6 as it is buttery smooth, has great mid-range pick up and has virtually no turbo lag. Quite the statement, I’ll have to try it out to see if it stacks up.

Speaking of BMW, they unsurpsingly won once again for their N55 3.0 litre twin scrolled turbo engine for the 5th year in a row. I can wholeheartedly agree with this decision after experiencing the 135i (read my test drive in the post below).

BMW also won a second award for the 1.6 litre turbocharged inline 4 that it uses in the Mini Cooper S. With more power, more efficiency and little turbo lag, it helps make the Cooper S quite the little performance machine.

Volkswagen picked up two awards as well. One for the supercharged V6 found in the Audi S4 and one for new Clean Diesel 2.0 litre TDI found in the Golf, Jetta and Audi A3. The former delivers all encompassing performance while the latter does exceptionally well at combining efficiency with performance.

Rounding up the list is the Ford and Hyundai. After reintroducing the 5.0 litre V8 found in the Mustang they were actually able to make a car that could keep up with the BMW M3. Enough said.

Hyundai on the other hand won for its 5.0 V8 as well found in the base Genesis sedan and the upcoming Equus flagship sedan. It won for keeping power plentiful while being even more efficient than the previous engine.

Congrats to all the winners!

[Ward's]

By Kevin Harrison

Sometimes the more simpler things in life can give you just as much or even more pleasure than all the fancy gadgets and technology that we surround ourselves with. All my friends have smart phones. I have a $70 LG that insists on dismantling itself piece by piece if you even so much as look in its direction. But I actually like it. Sure, smart phones are cool but I really just use my phone for what Alexander Graham Bell originally intended it for: talking. Okay, I do text a fair amount but that’s only because everyone else insists on communicating to me that way and if I dared to call someone in response to a text they will react as if I just has sex with their girlfriend.

If I had a fancy iPhone or Blackberry I’d likely lose my job. Seriously, how do people with smart phones keep their jobs? Or their girlfriends? All smart phone people do is become hypnotized and nothing else around them matters. I know because I was once given an iPhone to hang on to for 10 minutes. When its rightful owner came back he pointed out everything that I had missed: three very attractive girls waiting at the bus stop, a car stopped by the police across the street and an unusually large spider that decided my leg would be an excellent chill spot.

So when I was given the opportunity to test BMW’s adorable little Mini Cooper I was not only excited at the prospect of a test drive, but I was also intrigued when I found out it was the absolute most base trim level you could get. Usually manufacturers like to give the most decked out model you can get for car reviews hoping to swoon the auto journalist that reviews it. What gives?

“You’ll have just as much fun with this,” assured Campbell Harbord of Halifax BMW. Apparently this was the same vehicle that Halifax BMW uses as a loaner car. I gave an unsure acknowledgment in return to Campbell, grabbed the keys from him and set out into the lot.

The first thing I noticed when I got to the Cooper was “my, what small ugly wheels you have”. I crouched down to see what the deal was. 15 inches. Oh, and they still had winter tires on them. From last winter. What the hell? They kept the winter tires on since last winter? Aside from the fact that winter tires wear down more quickly in warm weather, I didn’t want the Mini to have an unfair disadvantage. This was a review after all and Minis are renowned for their handling abilities. This would surely cause the Mini to misstep if I pushed it to the limit. Campbell mentioned no possibility of getting another Mini with summer tires on, so this had to do.

Turns out, the Mini Cooper is quite surefooted despite wearing the wrong shoes for the conditions. I know you always hear this when you read Mini reviews, but go-kart like handling really is the best way to describe it. There is a touch of understeer at first. I’m not sure if this could be blamed on the horrible tire/wheel set up or if it’s a characteristic of all Minis. Either way, it doesn’t quite matter as the point and shoot steering ensures you go the direction you intended. And it does it quite sharply. There is little hesitation from the Mini no matter how aggressive you drive, it is generally very pleased to do whatever you want it to. As far as front wheel drive cars go, this is easily in the top five for handling abilities.

Power comes from a 1.6 litre making 118 horses. Considering the Mini’s size and weight, this is indeed quite adequate. Power is mostly available in the top end. As a result of such a small low horsepower engine, the Mini retains excellent fuel efficiency scores. Rated at 7.9 city and 5.7 highways, the Mini has earned a spot on Natural Resources Canada’s most efficient vehicles of 2010 awards. It is the most efficient in its class. That is, if you drive as if there is a carton of eggs under the gas pedal. Which is really hard to do. The 1.6 is so peppy, and despite the rather buzzy exhaust note, you’ll find yourself over the speed limit rather than under it. On another note, when I say ‘buzzy’ I don’t mean annoying buzzy. It’s almost like an adorable characteristic.

My tester had an optional automatic. It’s pretty meh all the way around. Shifts aren’t fast and quick, but not terribly slow and jolty either. There are no paddle shifters available on the classic. Do yourself a favour and get the six speed manual. It will really bring out the life in the engine, whereas the automatic kind of robs it to a certain degree.

The interior tries everything it can to blend retro with modern styling and as is the usually the case, it doesn’t work out so well. Being a quirky car, the Mini’s interior has an abundance of somewhat confusing toggle switches, a large speedo in the centre stack which definitely takes some getting used to, and the hood release on the passenger side of the car. The radio unit is a bit hard to work as well as the two knobs that control the tuning and the volume are not labeled, look exactly the same and are positioned fairly close to one another. As a result, when Ke$ha comes on the radio and you naturally wish to change radio stations as quickly as possible, you inadvertently turn the volume knob ans suddenly her talentless blood churning voice gets louder.

Cargo capacity is obviously not this car’s main selling point, however the boot does have room for about four full grocery bags and the rear seats do fold down. Which is good because they are pretty much useless otherwise. The hilariously quotable Graeme Fletcher says it best, “this is where you put your briefcase, and not your favourite mother in-law”.

The exterior is the victim of a rather unfortunate colour choice and of course the wheels and tires so I won’t be too hard on it. Usually Mini’s are quite nice looking with a blend of sporty, classy and quirky, but my tester doesn’t really have any of those going on.

At the end of the day, Campbell was pretty much right. Despite this being the most base Mini you can buy with the only option being the automatic, I came away fairly impressed. At $22, 800 to start the Mini isn’t exactly cheap compared to… well, the Mini doesn’t have too much competition as such. The Audi A1 would be a good comparo but we don’t get it here unfortunately. Mercedes-Benz has the Smart Fortwo, which is grossly overpriced for what it is.  Maybe the Volvo C30 is the best to compare to and that starts at $27,000. You get more power, but it’s also heavier. In any event, the Cooper is all about fun at the end of the day, and it’s good to know you can get some good old fashioned fun in a base model without having to fork over money for things like leather seats.

You want cheap, fuel efficient fun? Here’s your answer.

Price: $22,800

Pros:

• Peppy engine
• Great on gas
• Some of the best handling abilities I’ve experienced in a FWD car
• Usable daily cargo area
• Cool styling

Cons:

• Complicated interior set up
• Trying a bit too hard on retro theme for interior
• Starting price is a bit high
• Could use a bit more refinement

Overall: 8.5/10

On September 23rd BMW will introduce a new mini model and the pic above is the only indication they will gave as to what it will be.

Clearly it is a Countryman under that car cover. Right now educated guesses have the mystery Mini pinned as either a two door version of the Countryman, or a John Cooper Works edition of the Countryman. Since the whole point of the Countryman was to offer Mini loyalists the option of four doors in the first place, it’s unlikely that a two door Countryman would ever exist. You might as well just buy a regular Mini is you want two doors. Besides, there’s clearly a rear door handle sticking out in the pic above. So, John Cooper Works it is.

One troubling thing is that this image was taken from Mini UK’s website. Mini Canada or Mini USA have not been promoting this or any new Mini products so that leaves the possibility of a JCW Countryman being for Europe only.

[Top Speed]

Auto Express apparently has it on good word that Saab has officially inked a deal with BMW to build its upcoming sub-compact 9-2.  Rumour also has it that BMW will lend a helping hand with the next generation 9-3.

The 9-2, however, will use the Mini chasis along with other technologies from the lovable little Cooper.

According a Spyker exec: “We could build the 9-2 on our own, but that wouldn’t make sense. Thanks to the crisis in the industry, everyone is willing to share everything. So Spyker couldn’t have bought Saab at a better time.”

When BMW isn’t prodding Porsche to race, they’re hard at work refreshing the Mini lineup for the 2011 model year. We’ve pretty much seen what the refresh is going to look like through spy shots, but BMW has released official photos of the Cooper lineup.

The biggest news is that both engines get a boost in power. The regular Cooper gets a bump from 115 horsepower to 122, while the spicier Cooper S gets its power boosted from 172 to 180. Mini is still going to stick to turbocharging the Cooper S models, mostly to keep fuel efficiency numbers in check.

On top of that, the Coopers will all get LED tail lights, a slightly refreshed front facia and the Camden edition will be optional on every Cooper trim level, not just limited to the Cooper S like it is now.

Click here to check out an aray of pics, courtesy of Autoblog.

[Mini via Autoblog]

…Porsche!

That’s right, after all that back and fourth between Mini and Porsche, the 911 Carrera S came out on top. See Porsche? You should’ve just accepted the challenge, there was nothing to be scared of.

The race was held as scheduled at Road Atlanta, though not on the actual course. It was on the course’s paddocks and was laid out in an autocross style by Mini, which clearly helped the lil’ Cooper gain some advantage. Apparently not enough advantage though.

The end result was the 911 Carrera S being a full two seconds faster despite being almost 500 pounds heavier and much larger overall compared to the Mini. Mini was quick to point out that even though the Porsche won, it boiled down to $38,000 per additional second. Again, Mini is touting the value of the Cooper S.

But the folks at Mini aren’t sore losers at all. They said CEO McDowell will wear a “Porsche beat us” t-shirt for a week. They said it was all in good fun and they are the only car company not taking everything so seriously all the time, and I have to say, they are right. All this really brought out some friendly fun competition and everyone ended up having fun in the end. It was a brilliant strategy by Mini (even though they lost) because it got them lots of free press, maintained the Mini’s image as being fun and playful and it helped them to point out an extra 2 seconds on your lap time will cost you plenty.

Now, to make things even more interesting, take Hyundai up on their offer, Mini!

Check out the race above and check out the pre-interviews of the Mini and Porsche drivers after the jump.