Mini: new taste from an old recipe

There's a folklore out there that the original Mini was a cheap and cheerful car, and that when BMW brought out their version it became a much more expensive one.



True, but not true. When first launched, the Austin Mini was actually more expensive than its competitors of the time, and smaller than them too. But it was so different, everybody wanted one. Especially when it was picked up by the 'beautiful people' of that swinging Carnaby Street time.

(Masters of the Universe born since that time, Google 'Carnaby'.)

My mum, though beautiful herself, wasn't one of those. But she bought a Mini anyhow, and having access to it helped me to drive myself out of my teens and into my next important decade.

So, for my generation, Mini has fond associations. And some not so fond. Like the howling breeze that would come through the side windows, sliding affairs rather than wind-up. And the heater that didn't much. And, until Hydrolastic suspension came along, the thumping underpinnings on poor Kildare roads. Rust caused depradations too, but did so on every car of the time.

Still, even the lowliest basic Minis had a verve about them. They were fun cars, felt sporty even if they weren't because they sat so low to the road. And they oozed youth. I bet, though, that not even designer Alec Issigonis expected they'd still be coming down the assembly lines four decades after launch, hardly changed.

Enter then the New Mini, a BMW creation using many of the original cues but bigger, more comfortable, and incorporating the best of the Munich company's engineering expertise. Many doubted, but it turned out to be a runaway success. It's hard to believe that we're already well into the second generation of this incarnation of a 60s icon.



But we are. Nearly three years, even. And now there are more choices, with the Clubman 'estate' variant, and a new generation of the Cabriolet launching in March. There's even an 'Urban SUV' one in the planning, though they'll probably call it a crossover if it gets to production.

They didn't do many obvious changes in the Mini One (Mk II). Some slight exaggeration of the more important style cues, a bit of fiddling with the detail of the interior, and that was about it. But it's a BMW thing that they must keep trying to improve, even on excellence. So in terms of driving dynamics, and handling, it got better. New suspension ideas, and improved steering feel. Most important, though, the engines were changed.

A brand new aluminium 1.6 petrol unit introduced in the Cooper variant would have been enough in itself, but a 1.4 derivative of this became the entry level in the new Mini One. Although, at 95hp only 5hp more powerful than the first BMW Mini's Chrysler built 1.4, it is torquier, 15 percent more frugal and a lot cleaner than that one.

A completely new 1.6 diesel also came along with the new lineup, outputting 110hp and with a grunty 240Nm of pulling power, which can be overboosted by a further 20Nm for a limited time. Both engines have a six-speed manual gearbox as standard. The top ratio is a tall one, contributing significantly to motorway economy.

All the current engines have been developed with PSA Peugeot-Citroen.

It's fair to say that anyone who doesn't know the cheerful exterior look of the BMW Mini hasn't been on the planet for most of this Millenium. Those who don't know the interior can be forgiven, for it is not everyone who's been inside one.



It is bright, brash, and ... well, quite blatantly plastic. There's no trying to disguise trim and buttons as being anything else, even to the point of it sometimes seems as if the car is from Toys 'R Us. The massive speedometer is centrally mounted, true to the original concept but a wild exaggeration. The little rev-counter pod mounted on the steering column incorporates a handy digital repeat of the speed, so turning to look at that last isn't necessary. The switchgear for the entertainment and climate needs to be learned, but then is easy.

A toy this car is not, though. If the original Mini had the sense of solid build that this one has, they'd still be making them. In creature comforts it arguably eclipses even standard BMW offerings. A snow-weather very long drive to Dublin, with the remaining lower back symptoms from a previous fall on ice still causing discomfort, proved just how comfortable the front seats are.

(Comfort in the rear is dependent on how big those in front are. This is, after all, a supermini sized car.)

I've driven most versions by now, including the John Cooper Works (JCW) that's a real ball of frantic fun. The Clubman estate variant is an acquired taste in visual terms, but retains all the underpinning elements that make the modern Mini such an outstanding car. My favourite is the Cooper D. I'm generally not in favour of ponying up extra cash for a diesel in a supermini sized car, but in this case I'd recommend spending the extra three and a half grand.

It is a credit to BMW that they managed to give a really old icon such a resurrection. Others have tried, like VW with their own Beetle, Fiat more recently with their new 500. The former, a Golf in drag, has had moderate but extended success. The latter, a legend shapeshifted onto understuff from both Panda and Punto, may well be eclipsed by the much more contemporary Ka which is built for Ford on the same assembly line.

With Mini, BMW has won a significant automotive achievement. Not by trying to keep an old model going, nor by trying to graft nostalgia onto one of their existing platforms. They took the name, the concept, the style DNA and the ethos. And from it built a whole new car. That it has already moved through to its own second generation is the proof that they not only got the recipe right, but they cooked it correctly too. Brian Byrne.

VITAL STATISTICS

Model: Mini Cooper D by BMW.
Acceleration: 0-100 km/h - 9.9 secs
Top Speed: 195 km/h
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Economy: 4.4 l/100km (64.2mpg)
Price: From €23,705 (1.4 petrol €20,346)
CO2 Emissions: 118 g/km