Returning to the fold - R56 Cooper S

[Gruber]

I'm very pleased to say I'm returning to Mini ownership with this late R56 CS. It's one of the Bayswater edition cars, and it seems the previous owner really went to town with the options list.



I wanted something fun and nippy for the mountain roads over here in Switzerland. I think the little Mini will do the trick admirably. I also wanted something in a fairly bold colour. Everyone drives grey / silver / black cars out here, making it almost impossible to find your car in a car park unless it strands out a bit.

A couple of initial questions, please:

I'll be needing winter tyres for it. I'll probably just fit winter rubber to these wheels. What do people recommend? The Pirelli Sottos seem to be the most readily available out here in Switzerland. I think I'd prefer to stick with RFTs - the road surfaces are pretty good out here, so there's not quite the same imperative to ditch the runflats as there is back home in the UK.

I also need a car seat for our 2 year old. The Recaro Young Sport Hero looks like it might be a strong contender, with its relatively slim seat back. What have others found works well in a Mini?

No doubt I'll have a load more questions in due course, not least because the owners manual will be in German (and I literally do not speak a word).

Thanks.

[Gruber]

Thanks chap. Taking delivery tomorrow - genuinely excited about it.

[Gruber]

sad61t said:

I've a set of Conti winter contacts on 15" steels that work admirably on a Cooper. Might not be aesthetically pleasing, but do the job and keep my alloys away from all the winter salt and brine filled potholes. As they're separate wheels, I can change them myself.

The manual is also unintelligible in English.

Thanks for the tyre commendation.

Does anyone happen to know if 15"s will fit a Cooper S without problem? It looks (from a spot of internet research) as if the car was only available with 16s or bigger. I haven't found a definitive answer as to whether there are brake clearance issues fitting the smaller wheel?

[Gruber]

Thanks for the replies and advice - very much appreciated.

3 days into ownership and I'm really enjoying the little thing!

One more question though... is it possible to de-couple the steering from the "sport" button? I like the sharper throttle response and the pops from the exhaust, but I'm much less keen on the artificially heavier steering. Is it possible to have one without the other?

[Gruber]

sad61t said:

Confirmed with the dealer today that the 15" steel winters are not suitable for the R56 Cooper S.
Looks like 16" alloys are the minimum that will fit.

The Fiat dealer was alongside, and the 124 looks really good. Fingers crossed for dry weather on Saturday...

Thanks for the info.

As luck would have it, I've spotted an ad in the local classifieds for a set of 17s with Bridgestone winter runflats fitted (only done about 10k km) so I'm picking them up tomorrow.

Interesting to hear your thoughts on the 124. I've seen a couple of them around here these last few weeks and I have to say I much prefer the looks of the MX5... but it's good to see Fiat making a fun 2-seater again.

[Gruber]

I'm a couple of weeks into ownership now and enjoying the little thing immensely. It's my daily driver and manages a comfortable mid-30s mpg on a mix of shortish journeys, mixed roads and the occasional blat up a mountain road. In an ideal world, i'd have bought another 1M or M3, but purchase and running (tax and insurance) costs out here in Switzerland made that prohibitive.

The way it clings to the road through the bends is the thing I like best about it. And the three of us (me, Mrs G and our 2 year old) fit in just fine - I'd been a little concerned about whether there'd be sufficient leg-room up front in the passenger seat with the young'un in behind, but it's fine.

It's not mega fast by any means, but it feels quick. Our other car (a 5-series diesel estate) insulates you from the road so effectively that 90 feels like 60. In the Mini, on the other hand, 60 somehow feels like 90 - all a function of NVH I guess.

Anyway... very happy with it. Even better, they all come with a 10 year free service pack out here!