The two chrome-plated tailpipes in the middle of the powerful-looking rear end as well as the "Cooper S" logo show that this MINI is truly a very special car.
Like the crossbars in the radiator grille, the grab handle on the rear lid comes in body colour. The roof and exterior mirrors, in turn, are finished in white or black (although as an option the roof is also available in body colour at no extra cost). In all, the MINI Cooper S is available in eight exterior colours, two of which are exclusive to this top model: Electric Blue metallic and Dark Silver metallic.
The chrome-plated tank filler flap, the two side-grilles also chrome-plated and with an integrated "S" logo, the white direction indicators at the side as well as the 16-inch light-alloy wheels finished either in white or, as an option, in silver, are further characteristic features of this high-performance MINI from Oxford.
Despite these distinctions setting it apart from the MINI Cooper, the MINI Cooper S is clearly a genuine MINI with all the design features giving the car such a powerful, authentic character. The typical MINI face with the large round headlights, the short body overhangs, the steep side sections and the long wheelbase also characterise the top model in the range.
With its special bumpers designed specifically for the MINI Cooper S, the top model has a longer body overhang than the "regular" MINI Cooper, up by 25 millimetres at the front and four millimetres at the rear. The overall length of the car with the wheelbase remaining unchanged is up by 29 millimetres to 3,655 millimetres.