Finally had the chance to try a Cooper S fitted with the £1545, 189bhp Works kit. It was fascinating, but not just because of the extra power…

The Works arrived gleaming, feeling tight as a drum and wearing brand-new tyres. It’s amazing the difference fresh rubber makes – there was zero torque-steer and a much more settled ride. Think I’ll investigate some new, non-runflat tyres for our car to see if that improves things even further.

The Works engine felt a little smoother in its delivery than my standard S, but hardly any quicker. In fact I thought my car had the edge. Odd, but my Mini has always felt particularly healthy. A quick trip to Thorney Motorsport’s Dyno Dynamics rolling road revealed why – on its first two runs it span up to 205bhp and 230lb ft! However, the ‘overboost’ facility then seemed to calm down and it delivered a consistent 175bhp and 192lb ft – much closer to the claimed figures. Wonder if I need that Works kit after all…