Mini Cooper S review – design
Nothing else looks like a Mini, for better or worse. Huge range of personalisation means few Minis are ever alike
Well, it’s a Mini, isn’t it? The proportions and details might have twisted and inflated over the years but you could never mistake the Cooper S for anything else, particularly the right boxes were ticked colours and options for the suitable rally replica or 1960s touring car look.
The final F56 update cleaned up the front and rear fascias on the standard body car, but you could specify a Sports model with the JCW’s much more aggressive styling. The look regardless is a little chintzy and doesn’t really portray premium in quite the same way older generations did.
More generally, Minis got bulbous with the F56. The five-door is quite ungainly, and it’s slightly cheeky that the vent in the bonnet remained as on the early supercharged cars albeit with a plug, as the turbocharged models didn’t need it. The Union Jack tail lights are an acquired taste too, perhaps leaning too heavily on the swingin’ ’60s/Britpop vibe for a company that’s been owned by BMW since the 1990s.
More positively, the unique shape does have some benefits beyond its retro appeal. The short overhangs and compact dimensions make manoeuvring and parking a doddle – not to mention squeezing down B-roads.
