We're in beautiful Puerto Rico to drive the new Mini Cooper S. Is it still as exciting as the previous car? Only one way to find out.
The added performance and responsive nature of the contemporary underpinnings make the new Cooper S fun, fast and nimble. But it is also more mature, and the steering, now featuring speed-sensitive assistance as standard, is lighter in feel but accurate and satisfyingly direct. In Sport mode particularly, you get a steering that will follow your smallest input and reward you with a highly involving drive. Oh and it will slide too, albeit within the safety net of the plethora of safety systems.
However, even though the ride is smoother than that of the outgoing Cooper S and has a slightly more forgiving feel, it remains quite firm and our test cars 17-inch wheels didn't help matters either. But the new Cooper S does come with adjustable dampers so you can soften things a wee bit - just don't expect it to be very cosseting.
If you cherish driving or are an existing Cooper S owner (or someone who can stomach its Rs 25 lakh-plus price-tag), chances are that you're going to love this third-generation model.
It has been improved in every key area and is undeniably more fun to drive. Still, if you're seeking simple everyday usability in a no less entertaining car, the born-again Cooper may well fit the bill. It will be in India around Diwali.
We also drove the standard Cooper, a car you can think of as the level headed of the Mini siblings. The big news is its adoption of a new three-cylinder 1.5-litre petrol engine (similar to the one on the BMW i8). Mini claims it's way more efficient than the outgoing Cooper but what really took us by surprise was the level of refinement. There are no vibrations to speak of and its quiet too. Turbocharging and a whole host of technology from BMW's bag of tricks find their way here and they seem to do a splendid job. There's a lag-free and clean delivery of power and you can drive it hard too. Just don't expect it to sound spectacular - that three-cylinder thrum is always audible. Sound apart, there's little else wrong with the Cooper. Still, if you can, get the S for the true Mini experience.