Test drove the Cooper S today....

[manny]

It was 80 degrees and the sun was out. I was driving around in the M coupe with my wife and we went to a Mini dealer today. I test drove a Cooper S with the cold climate package. Here are my initial impresions:

Car handled great. The roads were twisty and narrow, the car exhibited almost no lean at all. I mean I have driven good handling cars but this was great (S2000 in the twisties as great too). I also loved the supercharger whine, it just got louder as we accelareted. I was also surpised about the room in the rear, I test drove the car with my wife and a salesman. He sat in the back and looked quite comfortable. Didn't get a chance to look at the engine nor the boot but was just smiling the whole drive.

Of course the wife had some objections, want to have akid next year and would a baby seat fit in the back?....Enough room???..She said we can probobly get a 325 instead....blah..blah..blah....but all i could think was this would be a great car to go with the M coupe. It was good while it lasted. The sales person will get back to me with the numbers, Thursday. We'll see what happens.......great ride though.:buttrock :clap: :clap: :clap:

[99m3 steve]

i just drove one today as well. they are sweet! wish it would rev faster

[manny]

Ok..another M driver crossing over. I was going to say I wish the car had more torque as well but for a supercharged four it goes. Wait till the John Cooper upgrade though.....

[themadhatter]

ah but the John Cooper upgrade is very expensive even with the factory coverage.

If the kit was availabe in pieces then I can see better sales for them, but for now $4k+ isn't realistic when it costs 20% of the cars value fresh from the show room.

perhaps getting rid of that HUGE exhaust would be nice start.

[SIbmw]

Manny,how much they want for it?

Ken

[kapolani]

My Cooper S is my daily driver.

It doesn't have the go like my M3 (obviously), but it's tons of fun tossing it through the twisties.

I have more confidence carrying speed through turns than in my M3. Seriously.

This car feels so planted at high speed turns it's silly. But, sometimes powering out of a turn is a bitch. I had to get used to it because I was constantly spinning the tires. I wish it came with an LSD.

I wasn't planning on modding this car, but I fear it's in my near future. Pulley mod, intake, exhaust, ecu work, and it should be pretty quick.

There's a guy on one of my other boards that pulled a 13.74 1/4 mile. That's pretty crazy.

Get it. You won't regret a thing.

[BlueM3Racer]

what did he have done to his to pull a 13.74? was that the guy with the 50 shot of nitrous?

[SilverStreak]

manny, at which dealer did you drive it?

[manny]

Guys,

I drove the demonstartor at Don Rosen Mini, it was a Cooper S and they wanted 21K for it as I remember. It had some miles on it but it was a demo car.... undertsandable. Im seriously considering it but we'll see what happens....Thanks for the input though.

[///MDriver]

My memory of driving the S entailed a speeding pullover (no ticket) and a shiftknob flying off of the shifter.

[manny]

It was definitley slower than the a Mcoupe but the fun factor was almost the same. I think it was more fun to drive the Cooper S in the twisties though, virtually no body lean. Give it a go man...

[MINIRacer]

Forward facing baby seats are no problem. My little one is two and it isn't bad at all (on the three test drives we took....car is due in two weeks).

A rear facing seat might be a little more difficult, but they are only in that for a year or so anyway. Plus, get the one with the base that stays in the car, then the seat and the baby come out together. It is much easier.

Good luck!