The cusp of the then-new millennium was a time of hope, especially for loyalists of Mini’s cars. The iconic British marque’s new German masters, the BMW Group, was set to debut an all-new car to replace the living fossil (though numerous running updates through the years kept it from becoming too much of a dinosaur) that was around since 1959.
If they were hoping for something like the Spiritual concept (see page 29), they would be in for rude shock. What they and the world at large got instead, as a prototype of the new car came bursting through a paper screen at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show, was the MINI.
Unlike the original, which is affordable even to cash-strapped hippies, the millennial Mini (which started sales in 2001) is aimed squarely at upwardly mobile millennial hipsters. Ironically, the new Mini isn’t very mini at all, and despite the massive growth spurt (over 600mm longer than the old car), is rather spare with interior space. To add insult to injury, the Germans had the cheek to capitalise its name to MINI, which from an alphabetical standpoint, is hardly mini as well.
This led to (predictably) a great wailing and gnashing of teeth from the crowd who thought the new car was more style than substance. However, the late John Cooper (you know, the guy whose name adorns MINI’s hottest models) didn’t have any complaints and instead, heaped praise on it.
Along with the late Mr Cooper, the MINI also found favour with some 2.6 million buyers to date, which is kind of amazing, because throughout its incredibly lengthy lifespan, the original Mini sold “just” 5.4 million units.
Despite selling like so many hotcakes, first- and second-generation MINIs are a little polarising, to say the least. If you’re a fan of the marque, then you wouldn’t hear one word against it, but if you’re a skeptic like us, then you’ll probably find them deeply flawed.
As MINI likes to claim, its cars have the so-called “go-kart feeling” in spades, but as the old saying goes, be careful what you wish for. The quick, meaty steering and sharp throttle response make it feel like you’re driving a go-kart, but so too does the over-sprung, under-damped crashiness of the ride.
And don’t get us started on the wonky ergonomics and hyperactive handling. It was all a bit like suffering for style, but rejoice ye multitudes, because the new MINI is almost completely unlike its two predecessors (in the bad bits, anyway).
Even just pulling out of the parking lot, it’s clear the new MINI rides like a dream. That’s handy, because most roads in Puerto Rico are nightmarish – liberally strewn with giant potholes, nasty cracks and freakishly tall humps. Where driving over those roads in the old car would have done some rearranging of our internal organs, the new MINI gamely takes all of them on.
Thankfully, this newfound softness hasn’t come at the expense of the marque’s famed incisive handling. The steering may be lighter, but it’s no less accurate than before, and despite growing longer and wider (98mm and 44mm respectively), there’s still plenty of agility to be had.
Another thing that has survived the MINI’s “puberty” is its off-beat personality. That’s catered for by an all-new, 1.5-litre inline-3, which has a matching off-beat engine note. As with most things about the new MINI, this engine isn’t just a pretty face. The 136bhp it delivers might seem a little thin, but considering the car tips the scales at 1115kg, and how there’s up to 220Nm of torque from 1250rpm, it’s a lot more zesty than you might give it credit for.
But the truest test of whether it’s a “real” modern MINI (more than the trademark zippy handling) arguably is whether it passes muster in the style department, and the third-generation car does so with flying colours.
The interior is more grown-up as well, and still has plenty of charm, though this time around, the MINI’s quirkiness is restricted to things that don’t compromise usability.
For instance, the new driving modes (Green, Mid and Sport) feature, selected via an oversized rocker ring below the gear lever, are accompanied by cheerful graphics on the infotainment system’s main screen, with an equally cheerful coloured LED ring surrounding said screen.
Elsewhere our main gripes with the old car – the centrally mounted speedometer, a throwback to the original Mini, and the window winder switches located on the centre console, are now in their “rightful” place – in front of the driver and on the doors respectively.
But it isn’t all just frivolous changes, as the new MINI’s interior quality is streets ahead of its predecessor, plus there’s a raft of new equipment, including a head-up display, a semi-automatic parking function (only for getting you into parallel lots, unfortunately) and a reverse camera.
Interestingly enough, the new MINI also introduces tech that debuted on the Rolls-Royce Wraith: Satellite Aided Transmission (SAT). Working in conjunction with the satellite navigation and automatic gearbox, the new MINI always “knows” what’s the best gear to be in by using the map data to see ahead and then choosing the appropriate ratio.
Granted, those high-tech goodies are likely to be fairly expensive options, but that can’t take anything away from the fact this car is the most rounded modern MINI ever.
Admittedly, some of the MINI’s charm may have been lost in achieving its newfound maturity, but we argue the rock-hard ride, infuriating ergonomics (ever tried popping the bonnet in MINIs of old?) and white knuckle hyperactivity of the old car isn’t charming, it’s masochistic.
Whether that can convince the hoards of hopeful loyalists who baulked when BMW turned their beloved cult car into the lifestyle-mobile it is today is a little bit more of a tall order. The new car is still unashamedly stylish (even more so now, if you ask us), and more than that, these chaps are usually more than a little set in their ways.
But we know of one new convert MINI has made with its third-generation car: Us. We can’t say we’ve been terrible impressed by one before, but this new MINI is something we can recommend (almost) without reservation.
SPECIFICATIONS
DRIVETRAIN
TYPE inline-4, 16-valves, turbocharged
CAPACITY 1499cc
BORE X STROKE 82mm x 94.6mm
COMPRESSION RATIO 11:1
MAX POWER 136bhp at 4500-6000rpm
MAX TORQUE 220Nm at 4500rpm
POWER TO WEIGHT 122bhp per tonne
GEARBOX 6-speed automatic with manual select
DRIVEN WHEELS Front
PERFORMANCE
0-100KM/H 7.8 seconds
TOP SPEED 210km/h
CONSUMPTION 20.8km/L (combined)
CO2 EMISSION 112g/km
SUSPENSION
FRONT MacPherson struts, coil springs
REAR Multi-link, coil springs
BRAKES
FRONT / REAR Ventilated discs / Discs
TYRES
TYPE Pirelli Cinturato P7
SIZE 175/65 R15
SAFETY
AIRBAGS 4
TRACTION CONTROL ABS with ESC
MEASUREMENTS
LENGTH 3821mm
WIDTH 1727mm
HEIGHT 1414mm
WHEELBASE 2495mm
KERB WEIGHT 1115kg
TURNING CIRCLE 10.8m
BUYING IT
PRICE INCL. COE To be announced
WARRANTY 3 years/100,000km
WE SAY
+ Beautifully resolved ride, charismatic new 3-pot engine, improved interior quality
– Interior storage space still quite limited, its quirkiness can seem contrived
