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.
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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…
Running Costs
| Date acquired | May 2007 |
| Total mileage | 6896 |
| Costs this month | £0 |
| Mileage this month | 1110 |
| MPG this month | 32.9 |
