The MINI Goes Maxi with More Power

Meanwhile, the Cooper S has gained 7 horsepower with a peak output of 170 and torque up by 7 lb-ft to 162. Acceleration and top speed are improved resultantly, needing only 7.2 seconds to reach 100 km/h (down from 7.4) while

The Cooper S will gain 7-hp, giving it a total of 170 for the 2005 model year. (Photo: MINI Canada)

top speed has been increased to 222 km/h (138 mph).

Several new colors have also been added to the MINI range, including Astro Black and the rather violently named Black-Eyed Purple, while the Cooper S gets Dark Silver and Hyper Blue as exclusives.

The interiors of all MINIs have been reworked too, with the legendary brand improving ergonomics, doing some subtle

MINI reckons that prices will increase by an average of 2.5 percent on all models. (Photo: MINI Canada)

restyling, adding storage areas, including larger door bins, improved lighting, adding a side mounted sun visor for the driver, a new passenger grab handle above the window, a larger rearview mirror, repositioning the clock from the headliner to the center stack, plus standard ISOFIX child seat anchors and a CD player. Fourteen different cloth, cloth and leather and leather trims are also available for the updated MINI.

What will these improvements set the buyer back? MINI reckons that prices will increase by an average of 2.5 percent on all models, which is fair considering the new standard features and improvements on specification and design.