Cooper rij-impressie (US)

augustus 2001, Car and Driver

Van de originele Mini, geïntroduceerd in 1959, zijn er in een tijdsbestek van 41 jaar 5,3 miljoen verkocht. Als je deze allemaal achter elkaar zet loopt de rij van New York naar Singapore. Indrukwekkend als deze nummers zijn, ze vertellen niet het hele verhaal over hoe belangrijk de eerste Mini was (de Austin Seven en de Morris Mini Minor). Zou je belangrijkheid van de Gutenberg print pers beoordelen aan de hand van aantallen verkochte persen? Bedenk dit: Chevrolet heeft 5,4 miljoen Cavaliers verkocht in 20 jaar. Stel je voor dat de Cavalier onveranderd 40 jaar overleeft. Stel je voor, Cavalier clubs, racen met Cavaliers, een heel kort rokje genaamd Cavalier. Stel een koningin voor die de ontwerper van de Cavalier tot ridder slaat. Dus de Mini heeft een lange culturele historie. Maar zelfs in Groot Brittannië, een land buitengewoon trots op zijn historie,  moeten symbolen uit een glorieus verleden plaats maken voor modernisme. De devotie van de Britten hield de Mini in leven, een auto die 20 jaar geleden mechanisch gezien al uit de tijd was. Maar in de vroege jaren tachtig rolden er nog maar 5000 Mini’s per jaar uit de showroom. Dus ondanks de sterke gevoelens voor de Mini van de Britten was de devotie om een Mini te bezitten al enige tijd verdwenen.
Buiten de 60 centimeter meer lengte dan de Classic Mini, heeft de nieuwe ook een verbeterd interieur welke in sterk contrast staat met het sobere interieur van het origineel.
Kijk eens goed naar de 2002 Mini Cooper en je ziet dat alle stijlelementen terug verwijzen naar zijn origineel in 1959. Herinneringen aan de rally van Monte Carlo overwinningen in de jaren 60 komen naar boven. Maar kijk verder dan de ronde koplampen, chromen grille en contrasterende dakkleur, en je ziet een moderne BMW. De nieuwe Mini begon als een gemeenschappelijk project tussen de laatste eigenaar, Rover, en de nieuwe eigenaar, BMW. Uiteindelijk hebben de Duitsers de leiding genomen in het herontwerpen van de Mini, van de aandrijfassen met gelijke lengte tot de vloer. Weg is het lichte en beweeglijke karakter van het origineel, vervangen door doeltreffendheid en efficiëntie dat we kennen als de Duitse ‘Grundlichkeit’.

BMW says the structure of the Mini is between 1.5 and 3.0 times stiffer than that of its competitors and 50 percent stiffer than its own line of 3-series cars. The Mini’s small dimensions help in that regard, but so do the 3800 welds on the structure (the much larger 3-series has only 800 more). BMW bolted to this rigid structure a much more sophisticated suspension than is found in most cars. The rear suspension mimics the multilink arrangement of the current 3-series. A simpler, cheaper rear suspension would have saved more space, but this is a fun car, and BMW has made certain sacrifices to achieve that mission. The front uses struts. Our test car was equipped with the Sport suspension (stiffer than the standard setup but softer than the “Sport Suspension Setting Plus”). The sport-tuned suspension allows virtually no body roll, even when pushed hard on the tight, twisting roads of central Italy where we drove the car. It feels as if the Mini’s center of gravity were a foot below the pavement.
The front-end grip, even with the standard 15-inch wheels and modest 175/65 Pirelli performance tires, is nothing short of amazing. Unless you go barreling into a corner stupid-fast, the Mini resolutely refuses to understeer. Even on some unexpected decreasing-radius turns, we just dialed in more steering and the front tightened the car’s line. Lovely. The steering, too, is lovely, certainly for a front-driver. It provides ample feel, no torque steer, and impressive accuracy. We’ll reserve judgment on the Mini Cooper’s ride quality until we get one on our cracked and pocked roads. We can say that sport-suspension-equipped Minis are plenty stiff and suffer some short-wheelbase choppiness. As stiff as it is, the new Mini never feels crude. This is a premium small car. Very little engine vibration can be felt through the steering wheel or pedals. High-speed stability is excellent, but there is more road noise than in other BMWs.
The interior design is where the upscale nature of the Mini is most apparent. It’s styled to look austere and functional. Unlike in the original, this austerity is a product of design, not necessity. There’s no practical reason the switches to raise the windows or disable the optional traction control had to be spring-loaded toggles. But they look great and are a pleasure to operate. In a nod to vintage style, the huge speedometer resides in the center of the dash. There’s plenty of head and leg room up front for tall drivers. The rear is another story.
BMW calls it a four-seater, but the rear seat is emergency quarters for masochists. With the front seat set for a driver six feet tall, we couldn’t so much as get our foot in between the front and rear seats. That rear seat folds down to provide a decent amount of cargo space. The options list is long. There are heated leather seats, a navigation system, xenon headlamps, stability control, and on and on. Standard are power windows, a CD player, A/C, six airbags, and anti-lock brakes. The problem is that the niceties add weight. Shorter by 24.2 inches than a three-door Ford Focus yet only 200 pounds lighter, the Mini weighs just over 2300 pounds without any options, and excess weight is the last thing the 114-hp single-cam in-line four can handle. (That horsepower is for European Minis; numbers for the U.S. versions have yet to be revealed.)

The Mini Cooper S with a 163-hp supercharged version of the engine was not ready to drive but will also be sold in the U.S. next year. That 114-hp, 1.6-liter base engine, the product of a joint venture between BMW and Chrysler, ominously known as the “Pentagon,” is the weakest link in the Mini. BMW estimates that the base engine will produce a 0-to-60 time of about nine seconds, putting it well behind other small cars with sporting intentions. Low-end torque is puny, and the maximum of 110 pound-feet doesn’t arrive until 4500 rpm. A five-speed manual is standard. A CVT-an automatic that uses a metal belt running between pulleys of varying diameters-is an option, but it wasn’t available at the preview. Although the five-speed’s shifter has a nice mechanical feel, second- and third-gear ratios are too far apart. We bumped against the rev limiter in second and bogged out of corners in third.The Cooper S will come with a six-speed.
The Cooper and the Cooper S go on sale next March at 70 BMW dealerships here. Expect a base price of about $17,000 and perhaps another $3000 for the S treatment. That puts it in competition with the VW Golf and New Beetle, the Ford SVT Focus, and the anticipated Honda Civic Si. But there’s no established market for a nostalgically cute little car that’s underpowered but is fun to drive and feels of high enough quality to wear the BMW badge, but doesn’t. Instead of thinking of the new Mini as an update of the old, one should think of it as the first BMW with styling guided by fun, nostalgia, and silliness.