scoobypig

Twice now I've been behind the same car on straight road.
Behind a truck at 40 then guns it up to 100mph.
The little devil could go! My my02(ppp+ITG) was quicker but not much!
Funny to think that just a few years ago scooobys could blitz 'anything' except faster scoobs and evos.
Time for that full decat methinks.

nichop

I had one for a test drive for 1/2 day. Great cars and almost bought one. Thing that put me off was that you couldn't choose to make fast but relaxed progress. At any reasonable speed it was hard work all the time and you couldn't switch off. Sometimes I like to get on with it but without having to be at 100%.

scoobypig

That makes me feel a bit better!

Chins

I owned an S - up for sale after a couple of weeks. Had an STI 7 at the same time. No contest the S was a soooooo slow. Must be something wrong with your Scooby. The S takes 20 secs to get to 100. A good scooby 14 max. Found parts of my drive home off limits with regards to overtaking where the STI wouldnt worry. When I wasnted a smile the STI was taken out

First car in the last few years I was happy to see the back of. IMHO a good wifes car, but not a mans

Jonathan

Happily married to an RS4 this week

Nevetas

Time to buy a skyline and nail his ar*s properly. :P

scoobypig

Well, that's what happened. To put perspective on it friend drove behind me recently in skoda RS, OK not a rocket but similar to mini, left him for dust. Nothing wrong with my car...
Don't know if thay're modding the Mini yet?

Neil Smalley

Maybe the mini had a better driver, knew the road better etc etc. There's no way to be sure. Probably best not to race though

Its a mini adventure

nichop

No official mods for S yet. Cooper has one but will be next year.

AJbaseBloke

Test drove one recently with a real tester - the wife (and some friends for a bit). It is very chuckable, a lot of fun from the driver's seat, but she absolutely slammed its ride/handling balance, esp. if you are unlucky enough to be in the back seat.

Nice try, not nice enough though...

Iain P

Don't forget you're now driving a lardier car

shunty

Exactly IanP - those standard fuglies have a lot to answer for

shunty

R.B.5

I think the mini -s is a well nice bit of kit. Its only a 1.6 supercharged isnt it? So in that respect it does pretty well. I have this mini where i live that never ever fails to race or attempt to race me when he sees me. Backs off quite a bit then floors it so that he breaks hard about a car length behind, making it look like his car is something quick. lol all i do is wait...drive slower than like 20mph to annoy him a little look in mirror and about for the coppers and.....eat my pirelli's

Its sometimes annoying that so many people need to be shown what a scoob is capable of, there was a time that cosworths and scoobs and the like got and earned respect. I wouldnt dare drive real close to one just out of pure respect. Seems like people have just changed for idiots. Normally its the "young uns" i get problems with not the older type. Take last night for example, i had this scooter kid as i call him as i always see him riding my bumper on his nifty 50. I let him pass, continued behind him inches off his rear wheel just as he'd done with my bumper and went along side after giving it some boost, stared across and he gave the finger. So i thought right then like that is it. Pulled back behind followed him and he turned down this single track lane/pavment to loose me. He does this tailgating manouver every single time i see him. Next time i visit the cop shop, either that or i smack him one!

adair69

In answer to the mods for the mini you can actually if you have the money.
One of the F1 rally drivers(can't remember which) has modded (or still in the process of) the s up to 300bhp!!!! I don't think that's what you saw, but well I feel you would have had a hard time beating it considering the power to weight ratio of a little monster like that. Makes you wonder how much a conversion would cost considering the cost of the mini. If it was £10k you'd still be laughing to the bank.

nichop

The F1 driver is one of the Williams guys and he has asked Cooper Garages to go beyond the 200bhp figure (which is what their std pack will deliver) and try and get up to approx 240bhp. Not delivered yet.

TRIGGER

My colleague is taking delivery of a Cooper S Works later this month - should have 220 bhp so he has been told - he put a deposit down a year ago.

R.B.5. - the guy on the scooter is a turd but why should it bother you - it isnt you who's gonna get maimed when he hits you, and he'll probably barely dent yr car - just ignore him, give him room and let him go. Is it worth it ?

Dave Coulshaw

Had a drive of one last week - not stoped grinning yet. Prefer the STi overall, but the new mini is one fun car

DaveR

Bizzarely enough, I just got back from a lunch-time test drive of an S at a local dealer. Am thinking of trading in the MY02 (plus cashback!), just because of comparative running costs really.

The S is nice (but tiny!!! inside and out), but have to say although chuckable it did feel a lot slower than the WRX. Having said that the woman with me from the dealership kept spoiling my fun by saying she was scared (at about 50 on a A-road!!!)

still thinking about it - but the S now has a February 2003 leadtime brand new....

Chins

I know two other ex S drivers. None of us were convinced by the handling when driven at 90% +. Interestingly Autocar picked up this same point on the last drivers car of the year day.

I found it dificult to lay down 163bhp, let alone 220. I think some journalists got carried away in the hype.

Jonathan
maybe RS4 less later today

fdpxfunix

I had a 'play' with a Cooper S on A27 3 or 4 weeks ago. (I've got a standrd MY99 Wagon)

It was quick, but I had enough power to get up alongside his passenger side ... nod at the passenger ... pull back in behind him ... and then do exactly the same thing again!

He just did not want to pull over. I let him get ahead at least twice more and caught him very quickly.

Excellent looking car and quick enough, but not a Scoob beater. Possibly there's some modded S's around ???

J.

Regacy

Was lucky enough to go on the press launch of the Cooper S in Aberdeen. 2 days of blasting over some of the best roads in the world and I found it hard to fault. OK it isn't exactly a relaxing drive but that's not what you buy it for. All it lacked was a few gold bars in the boot and some Italian police to play chase with. Fantastic fun.

mega_stream

Scoobys could blitz "anything" until they brought out the MY01's

Flame me down guys

Iain P

At least you can blown into the weeds in complete comfort!

Adam M

why are people going on about power to weight ratio?

to my knowledge the new mini is 1200kg, which is 30kg less than my car.