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Car Reviews: Long Term Tests

Mini Cooper S

We take the Cooper S to the Bedford Autodrome for a comparison with Renault's Clio R27

By Jethro Bovingdon

January 2008

Took the Cooper S to the Bedford Autodrome to do a comparison with the Clio R27 and the Works-equipped Mini we featured last month. I was worried it might feel a bit clumsy, all that torque equating to scrappy progress and lots of understeer. Not the case. In fact it felt pointy and composed with little understeer, and it was very easy to manage any wheelspin out of the tighter corners.

It felt best into the Pif-Paf chicane, carrying great speed in and flicking between direction changes with incredible agility and a good turn of opposite lock. The brakes wilted quite quickly (especially compared with the Clio’s excellent Brembos), but despite worn pads and tyres that are well past their best, it still pipped the Clio with a 1:31.50 – or just a bit quicker than a Bentley Continental GT!

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