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2012 MINI Cooper S Coupé Review

2012 MINI Cooper S Coupé
Photo: Sébastien D'Amour
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Mathieu St-Pierre
A MINI gone too far?
Although Mini and MINI do not have the posh clout of other British brands like Aston Martin and Rolls Royce, the car made famous by Alec Issigonis (or is it the other way around?), is one of the most enduring and endearing ever produced.

MINI is a brand in full effect and working hard to expand its reach in every category within the compact car segment. Its products bridge a gap between, for example, a Volkswagen GTI and Audi's A3. Another instance could be between a Hyundai Genesis Coupe and a BMW 1 Series. In some cases, MINI is a destination for carnuts and driving enthusiasts.

Certainly on that last point, no one comes close to MINI when handling, steering and FWD are uttered in the same sentence. Every time I find myself at the helm of one of MINI's pocket-rockets, I fall in love all over again with the squirt-y nature of the car.

A number of months ago, I was introduced to a 2011 MINI John Cooper Works and I've not been the same since. Dart-y, fast and immensely fun, the JCW is at the very peak of FWD performance. My tester, a 2012 MINI Cooper S Coupé, finds itself only a notch below that of the JCW. This is a good car to drive.

Seriously, unless your idea of happy time is counting the number of blades of grass in your neighbour's yard, driving any MINI will stir up emotions, generate smile after smile, mile after mile.

The S Coupé features the same twin-scroll turbocharged 1.6L 4-cylinder engine as does every other S in the MINI family. At 184 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque (192 w/overboost), this mill is in the business of making things happen. The 0-100 sprint takes seven seconds and if you hold the throttle down long enough, you'll hit a top speed of 230 km/h.

These numbers may be seductive but as the saying goes, it's the journey, not the destination that really matters. And believe you me, not only is the trip safer, but it is so rewarding that you will want to do it over and over again.

The mini 4-pot springs to life with a low bellow that belies its appetite for revs. With a tad of positive resistance, the clutch goes back and the shifter schlumps into first gear. From that very moment, the road beckons louder than your empty stomach when faced with a Tim Robbins or Dolly Parton Triple Decker sandwich from Stage Deli in New York.

It is impossible to sit still when driving a MINI S. At any given moment, all four of your limbs will be working some component. The left foot and leg dice the clutch, the right foot and leg endlessly massage the brake and throttle for easy-sleazy heel-toe action. The torso sways between both hands on the meaty steering wheel and the right swapping cogs with the delightfully heavy shifter. Driving this car is better than any dirty dance.

Steering is dynamite: the 2012 MINI Cooper S Coupé changes direction instantly and the strong brakes encourage the driver to push ever harder. There are few cars more in tune with the notion of handling than a MINI.

The new 2012 Toyota Camry holds the tarmac far better than the old car but that type of road and surface manipulation has little to do with what the Cooper Coupé can do. The Coupé's limits far exceed that of the average driver's but once in a while – or often in my case – it's just good to experience how competent this car really is. You can drive the Cooper Coupé normally but I don't see why anyone would want too.

Yes, the 2012 MINI Cooper S Coupé has all the ingredients that make a MINI a MINI, save for one: it's ugly.

From the b-pillars forward, the Coupé is sweet and far more dynamic than the hatchback or any of the others. Its fenders are flared, its headlights pokey, just as they should be. The roofline is chopped and from head-on or three-quarter front angle; it's quite high-voltage looking. Squared from the rear, it's more of the same but the moment a glance is taken at the side, the super-model displays its flaws. The cool sweep front-to-back loses momentum and reason and the car's appeal wanes. The new Roadster, which drops the top, is surprisingly attractive, however.

In most instances, I was in the car as opposed to out and starring at the pointless shape. On-board, MINI connoisseurs will feel right at home faced with the giant speedo and multiple toggle switches, all in a quirky layout.

The seats are phenomenal, perfectly adapted to the car's driving abilities. The shortcomings are few. Other than the exterior styling, the 2012 MINI Cooper S Coupé has little trunk to speak of and only room for two. What’s more, the rear-most tonneau cover — it's a two-parter — and dashboard harshed my mellow with a number of rattles. I survived.

$31,150 is the coinage needed to get a 2012 MINI Cooper S Coupé. The more utilitarian Cooper S starts at $28,950. The difference includes specific trim and 3 extra hp but the sacrifices are too numerous to go into for the Coupé over the regular Cooper.

Although the Cooper S Coupé is lighter than the Cooper S by a few kilos, the drive is 99.9% identical. The Coupé has two specific things going for it: it will always turn heads and it's not cute. If it were my money, I'd deal with cute and spring for the hatchback.

 
2012 MINI Cooper S
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2012 MINI Cooper S
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Mathieu St-Pierre
Mathieu St-Pierre
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