Mini Cooper S: Spotted

As the Mini range grows (in every sense), is now the time to appreciate the original supercharged S?

Did you know that the original new Mini – or MINI as they would much rather shout – is 16 years old this year? How time flies. Not only does that serve to make everyone feel even older than they already did, it also goes to show just how attitudes have changed since then.

Think about when the 21st century Mini arrived: sure, it drove well, but there were reservations about just how big it was, how complicated it now appeared and how the styling would age. As it turns sweet 16 the Mini range now features cars like the latest Clubman, the second gen Countryman and the cabrio. The first Cooper S, by comparison with those three at least, seems small, cute and, well, quite traditional as far as hot hatches go.

Here was a hot hatch introduced just as the genre was starting to enjoy its resurgence. More power was brought about by a supercharger, the gearbox gained another ratio for six in total and the whole Mini experience sharpened up for a really exciting little pocket rocket. Remember this weighs less than a current Fiesta ST at 1,140kg, so it should be agile, eager and, frankly, all of the things we’re yet to find in the current fast Minis (Challenge aside).

There are a few early cars for sale on PH currently, but this Electric Blue version stood out for a few reasons. The first being that is appears in better condition than similar cars; it’s inevitable perhaps as the cars become older and less cared for, but one or two are now in a fairly ropey state. To that end this car has received some preventative care already to address some well known issues, hopefully ensuring it will remain in a good way for a while yet. This car has some worthwhile modifications too, liberating a bit more power and noise.

More than that though it’s the thoroughness of the advert that’s so encouraging, the level of care that’s been lavished on a car that’s ultimately now worth £3K. There are loads of old receipts and invoices, a year’s MoT, an original toolkit still and a sense of proper ownership in recent years. That and the PH sticker of course – must be a good guy.

At £3K there aren’t a great many rivals that stand out; a Renaultsport Clio would be the obvious one, with plenty of 172s and 182s available at this money. For those after a slightly more premium experience though, there isn’t much. Polo GTIs were far slower then, an Ibiza Cupra won’t be anywhere near as much fun and a Fabia vRS was diesel-only in the early 2000s – how times change...

So yes, this Cooper S looks like a rather fun way of spending £3K on a small fast car. What was once believed to be the preserved of estate agents can now be considered a genuine little hot hatch legend. Wonder if that will be said of the current car at any point?

MINI COOPER S
Engine: 1,598cc, supercharged inline-four
Transmission: six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 163@6,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 155@4,000rpm
MPG: 32
CO2: 207g/km
First registered: 2004
Recorded mileage: 113,000 miles
Price new: N/A
Yours for: £2,950

See the original advert here

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Rumblestripe

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