Latest news with #CooperS
Motor Trend
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
2026 Mini Lineup: The John Cooper Works Way
Changes for the 2026 Mini lineup aren't as sweeping as they were a year ago, when the brand essentially reset its full product range. We also expected that lineup to expand, but tariff concerns made sure the Chinese-built Aceman small electric SUV and the next Cooper electric hatchback would have to wait at least a little longer. The 2026 Mini lineup sees minor updates with a John Cooper Works Style package for the Cooper S models, adding sporty features for $1,200. Black Sport Stripes and a Digital Key Plus app are introduced. The Countryman gets new wheel options and similar upgrades. This summary was generated by AI using content from this MotorTrend article Read Next That's OK, though—this year's crop is fresh enough, and benefits from some nice upgrades. Read on to see those changes for 2025 Mini cars and SUVs. 2026 Mini Cooper Hardtop The John Cooper Works Style package injects a little racy flair into every S model this year. For the two- and four-door Cooper S hardtop, that means Dynamic Damper Control adaptive damping, package-specific wheels, and a JCW Aero Body Kit that features revised bumpers and rocker panels, all for $1,200. With the Iconic trim, enhanced braking and steering wheel paddle shifters are also included. Black Sport Stripes become available for both JCW and non-JCW Cooper S models this year, and $250 remains the price for that add-on. Lastly, all Minis that are equipped with keyless entry and start, and those manufactured after July 1, 2025, will come with a new smartphone-based Digital Key Plus app that will offer the same functions. Read Our Experts' Full Mini Cooper Hardtop Review 2026 Mini Cooper Convertible The John Cooper Works Style package offered for the Cooper S Hardtop is also available for the Cooper S Convertible at the same $1,200 price. This package includes JCW aero kit, adaptive dampers, and wheels exclusive to the package. Improved braking and paddle shifters come with the Iconic trim, too. Additionally, for 2025 Black Sport Stripes are now available on non-JCW versions of the convertible. Open-top Coopers built after July 1 with Comfort Access keyless entry and start will use a slightly different digital key arrangement than hardtops. Whereas fixed-roof models exchange one key fob for two cards, the 2026 Convertible gets to keep both key fobs and gains two cards. Read Our Experts' Full Mini Cooper Convertible Review Black 18-inch Asteroid Spoke wheels wrapped in all-season tires are a new no-cost option this year for the Countryman S AWD with Signature Plus or Iconic trims in Classic or Favoured style. The JCW Style package is also available for the Countryman S, adding aero, wheels, and dampers like the Cooper, but at a more expensive $1,400. As with others, the Iconic trim paired with the JCW package features enhanced braking and paddle shifters integrated with the steering wheel. Mini's SUV lineup also gets the optional $250 Black Sport Stripes, with or without JCW trim. Countryman models built on or after July 1, 2025 with Comfort Access will get Digital Key Plus, which lets you unlock and start your car with your phone. The crossover loses one of its two key fobs and gets a Setup Card and Service Card. As for the Countryman SE ALL4, Mini says the switch to the new model year will happen later in 2025 to coincide with a few other product updates expected to happen at that time. Considering the all-electric Countryman was completely redesigned last year, we're not expecting huge changes for 2026. The new SUV looks and feels premium, but range and charging could be better, and the infotainment system operates slowly. MotorTrend Ranked: #6 in luxury subcompact SUVs (2025 model) Read Our Expert's Full Mini Countryman Review 2026 Mini Lineup: What's New 2026 Mini Cooper Hardtop: Minor update 2026 Mini Cooper Convertible: Minor update 2026 Mini Countryman: Minor update
Auto Car
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Car
How to get a Mini on your drive for £2000
Overall the Mini is a reliable, well built small car that shouldn't cause you any major problems. Indeed, it is not totally free from mechanical gremlins, but by now any recalls will have been addressed and dealers, as well as independent specialists, are familar with the issues that might afflict them. For more peace of mind, the Mini Hatch ranked fifth out of 19 cars in the small car class in the latest What Car? Reliability Survey, with an impressive overall rating of 97.9%. Engine: Be wary of Cooper S Minis built between 2014 and 2015: a recall was issued to repair a defective crankshaft bearing and engines were either rebuilt or replaced. Check that the whole engine has been replaced because other parts may have been damaged by the faulty crankshaft. High oil consumption is common on hotter models so check oil levels and make sure the car is serviced every year. Exhaust: Ensure the Pro exhaust on the JCW cars is fitted properly. You'll know it isn't if the heat shield is rattling underneath the car. Suspension: Listen out for a knocking noise from the front suspension as the control arm bushings like to make a racket when they're worn. A new bushing is around £30. Body: Door seal rubber can rub away the paint on the inside so check for any damage. You can buy door-shut paint protection film to stop the issue from recurring. Check for clouding in the wing mirrors. New glass is around £20. Interior: Don't be surprised if the dashboard rattles, especially on higher-mileage cars. A creaky sunroof isn't uncommon either and some lubricant around the seal can assuage the issue. Check that the heated seats work and that the light doesn't go out on the dashboard when they're switched on. If they're faulty, then it could be either the heat element or control module that's to blame. An owner's view Rachel Lowe: 'I was looking for a step up from my 2013 'R56' Cooper and the F56 model was what I was hoping for in terms of reliability and performance. In the end, I bought a 2016 JCW from Scotland and the seven-hour drive home proved that this was the right car for me. It's very responsive, handles superbly and is surprisingly economical on longer journeys. I've added a few modifications, including a wrap, JCW Pro exhaust, front splitter/side skirts and the JCW Pro suspension kit. It's been very reliable and easily the most fun car I've ever owned.' Also worth knowing If you want the fastest version of the F56-gen Mini, your best bet is the John Cooper Works GP, launched in 2020. This track-focused hot hatch is an absolute riot to drive thanks to its lowered suspension, larger brakes and 302bhp turbocharged motor. There are plenty of special editions to choose from, such as the 1499GT, a play on the 1275GT of the original car. There's also the 1to6 Edition, a limited-run version of the JCW that was the last Mini to feature a manual gearbox.
TimesLIVE
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
The MINI Cooper S is a small car with big charisma
The first example of the latest generation MINI I drove was the Countryman, and as much as the family car impressed with its relatively nimble driving characteristics, considering its bloated dimensions, it's too big to be considered a real MINI. Its 4,444mm length is comparable to midsized SUVs like the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro and Toyota Corolla Cross. In the 14-model MINI range that comprises convertibles, five-door hatches and crossovers, it's the three-door hatchback that best exemplifies the spirit of the original 1960s Mini. Like the groundbreaking original designed by Alec Issigonis, the latest three-door MINI is compact, cute as a button, and runs circles around the many top-heavy SUVs that are increasingly dominating the roadways. Priced at R649,395, the Cooper S three-door hatch embodies the charismatic simplicity of the latest fifth-generation MINI, which brings a minimalist design and digital innovations. It isn't just a MINI hatchback with two fewer doors. With a length of 3,876mm the tiny three-door doesn't offer family practicality and loses a lot of cabin and boot space to the 4,036mm five-door MINI hatch. Even small children will struggle to squeeze into the three-door's rear seat unless you adjust the front seats as far as they'll go forward. It's best to look at this as a two-person car, with a back seat that serves as extra luggage space. The tiny 210 l boot expands to a useful 725 l when you flip down the backrests. The car is instantly recognisable as a MINI with its doe-eyed headlamps and 'floating' roof, but the design has been touched up with a new octagonal grille and horizontal LED daytime running lights. There are three selectable light signatures for the daytime running lights and the matrix rear lights. Inside, the car is all about modern minimalism with its giant round OLED display and two-tone textile dashboard. As part of the MINI Experience Modes, two projector units beam various illuminated graphics onto the dashboard. A personal photo can be set as the display background via the MINI app. A dinner plate-sized OLED touchscreen houses all the infotainment controls in large and legible fonts. The digital interface is generally user friendly, though I would have preferred quick-access physical buttons for the climate control system.
The Citizen
07-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
All-electric Mini Cooper SE rises above weight and price issues
Go-Kart experience, complete with fake sound and light show, turns hatch into a toy car. The new all-electric Mini Cooper SE does an excellent job of living up to the brand's ethos. Instant torque and enjoyable handling deliver the kind of fun experience the iconic Cooper S 3-door is known for. While the Mini Cooper SE is a lot bigger and more advanced than its Cooper S Mk1 forefather from the 1960s, there is number that is remarkably similar despite being separated by six decades on their birth certificates. Quite astonishingly, the power to weight ratio difference between the models are only 10kW/ton. The Mini Cooper SE has a power to weight ratio of 98kW/ton compared to the Mk1's 88kW/ton. Mini Cooper S an icon The Mk1 that famously won the Monte Carlo rally in the 1960s before and negotiated drainpipes and stairways in the original The Italian Job film was fitted with a 1 275cc engine kicking out a princely 57kW. But, a kerb weight of only 645kg gave it a very respectable power to weight ratio in a game where 100kW/ton was once the golden benchmark. The Mini Cooper SE's outputs of 160kW/330Nm produced by a single electric motor is actually more than its internal combustion sibling's 150kW/300Nm. But electric cars have a major weakness and that is the weight of its batteries, which in the SE's case is a 54.2-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Its kerb weight of 1 620kg therefore stand out like a sore tooth against the petrol engine model's 1 285kg. ALSO READ: New Mini Cooper S stays true to peppy and fun 'hot hatch' roots The resulting power to weight ratio of 98kW/ton drags the SE way down from the 116kW/ton ratio of its petrol-powered sibling. This leads right into the other sticky point. The price. The Mini Cooper SE costs R802 000, a R155 605 premium over the R646 395 Cooper S 3-door. As before, the Mini Cooper SE's taillights resemble the Union Jack. Picture: Charl Bosch Political shenanigans In a first world country with zero carbon emission targets, various incentives and subsidies are in place to ensure electric vehicle (EV) ownership is a viable option compared to cars powered by internal combustion engines. But we live at the southern tip of Africa ruled by a government that is likely reading the White Paper on proposed future policies of new energy vehicles upside down. Until they figure this thing out and relax taxation on EVs, cars like the Mini Cooper SE will stay expensive unfortunately. And even though charging at home will be much cheaper than filling a stank with petrol, you'll have to drive at least 120 000km before breaking even. This is a real pity. And by no fault of Mini or its owners BMW, even though GWM builds the electric version in China. The carmaker has come a long way since the days of the BMW i3, which compared the Mini Cooper SE, tragically lacked a soul. Knockout colour The SE is a great blend of modern technology with a fair bit of retro-ness which ranges from the driving straight through to the styling. The tester The Citizen Motoring drove in Sunny Side yellow paint with black roof and mirror caps was a real head-turner. Like the electric-only Mini Aceman, the Cooper SE's cabin is very simplistic. A variety of hard-wearing recycled fabrics feature all over the cabin clad in all sorts of funky colour combinations. The 9.4-inch OLED roundel infotainment system which controls most functions takes centre stage on the dashboard. Making up for the absence of an instrument cluster is a head-up display. What we liked is that there is still physical switchgear for some functions like side mirror adjustments and volume control. A key-like start switch features between a toggle switch gear selector and Experience selector, the latter becoming our go-to plaything. Go-Kart experience Instead of run-of-the-mill driving modes, the Experience mode selector allows you choose a mode like Vivid or Green that not only adjusts the driving dynamics, but also the look and feel of the cockpit in terms of screen design and ambient lightning. In our case, the preferred option was the Go-Kart Experience. The 9.4-inch roundel is clear and easy to use. Picture: Charl Bosch Flipping the switch into Go-Kart mode gets Mini Cooper SE as excited as the driver, with a loud 'woo hoo!' glaring from the speakers as soon as its activated. It unleashed a lightning quick throttle response, firms up an already stiff suspension and makes the feedback on the torque steering a lot more accentuated for a sportier feel. Better yet, it activates a sound akin to an arcade racing game. At might sound a tad to artificial at first, but once you become addicted it's hard to disengage Go-Kart. ALSO READ: Petrol and EV confirmed as BMW prices all-new Mini Cooper On smooth surfaces with little feedback from the suspension you don't really notice the SE's weigh too much. But on less than perfect roads you do get a feeling for the mass you are carrying as the firm suspension starts bouncing around a bit. That, and the fact that we suffered a tyre burst hitting a pothole forced us to abandon any plans of trying to emulate the 1960s icon and drive it down a staircase or two. Mini Cooper SE passes the test Like any fossil fuel-driven car, the harder you press the accelerator, the higher the consumption. Going about your business in a civilised manner will ensure power consumption of less than 20kWh which should get you just over 300km of range. But play too hard and you'll need to stop a lot more for charging. But Mini has made provisions for that too, as the Cooper SE supports DC charging of up to 95kW. Political shenanigans burdening the Mini Cooper SE aside, the hatch does an excellent job of upkeeping what Mini is within an electric persona. If more soulless electric cars can adopt personalities like this, maybe the future won't be all that boring.
News18
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- News18
MINI Cooper S Lists Under Price Protection Assurance, Check Benefits Under Offer
Last Updated: The offer is valid only for the MINI 3-Door Cooper S, which is available in India as a Completely Built-up Unit. It will remain the same for a limited period. The German carmaker BMW India has taken a unique initiative, giving a price projection assurance against the latest offering, MINI Cooper S. The company has announced in its official release that the offer has been introduced to give proper assurance to the customers, allowing them to feel less stressed about the price hike of the model in the future. What's The Benefit? What is the offer all about? Well, under the latest initiative, the three-door Cooper S can be purchased, and will be covered till the next 180 days against the price hike. It means the customers will be able to stay at peace, and will have the opportunity to get a refund of the differential amount if the price goes up during the above-mentioned period. Limited Period Offer The offer is valid only for the MINI 3-Door Cooper S, which is available in India as a Completely Built-up Unit. It will remain the same for a limited period. The benefit can not be avail for the electric version, MINI Countryman, which has been produced at MINI Plant Oxford in the United Kingdom. Here's What Top Official Says Reacting to the offer, Vikram Pawah, President and CEO, BMW Group India, said, 'MINI has always stood for innovation and a bold character. With the price protection assurance program for MINI 3-Door Cooper S, MINI is staying a step ahead and ensuring that customers can receive the full benefit of any major price reductions resulting from anticipated duty cuts." 'They can buy their favourite MINI today and do not have to wait longer to make the purchase decision. This bold decision reflects the brand's exceptional focus on customer centricity, trust and best interest of the MINI community," Pawah added. First Published: May 23, 2025, 15:28 IST
