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Test drove Cooper S--now I'm a believer. |
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Written by JST
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Sunday, 23 June 2002 |
I had a chance to test drive a Cooper S yesterday. After driving the
base Cooper a couple of months ago, I posted that while interesting and
sort of entertaining, I didn't find the experience that remarkable. The
engine's anemic power output meant that you really had to cane it to
get anything out of the car. Later, after test driving a Focus SVT, I
indicated that the Focus was all the car the base Mini is plus a whole
heapload of practical acoutrements (like an actual trunk).
But the Cooper S is something else. It put the SAG on my face in a way
that none of the other cars in the segment has. The extra power from
the supercharger totally transforms the car; while the Cooper feels
like a great chassis in search of an engine, the Cooper S has that
balance of performance assets that BMW is so famous for. No one element
dominates the car. Instead, the chassis is perfectly complemented by
the engine, which allows you to whip from corner to corner with ease.
I still don't like the gimmicky interior (and though I suppose you get
used to it, putting the speedometer in a fast car out of the driver's
direct line of sight is like an open invitation to law enforcement
officials). And I still think that, in the end, it's really too small
to be used as anything other than a commuter/weekend toy. But, man,
what a blast to drive. In terms of road feel and driving enjoyment, it
really does feel like a 3/4 scale M3.
Originally posted on bimmerfest.com.
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JST's Cornered Test Drives 