The new MINI Cooper is fantastic. I’m sorry if that sounds over the top, but it just is.The first impression of the new MINI as I walked into a small hangar full of the cars at Perugia airport was “cool”. It wasn’t the first time I had seen the MINI in the flesh, but to have rows of MINI’s all waiting to be taken out into the surrounding countryside, and knowing I was just about to get behind the wheel, it was good.

As I started loading myself and my gear into the MINI those positive first impressions continued. Everything felt nice to the touch. The door handles felt nice and chunky, the click and clunk, the smooth action, all spelled out quality. The car I had to drive was a Silver and Black Cooper with several options including Sports Plus Suspension, 16″ Alloy wheels, ASC+T, Cloth Leather Sports seats, and much more.

The sports seats were supportive, slung pretty low, and very comfortable. At six foot tall, the driving position for me was excellent, the adjustable steering rack helped to get it right, and the lack of reach adjustment was no problem at all. Everything fell to hand nicely, the gear stick was nice and chunky, and the steering wheel which I had feared looked too skinny, felt nice in your hands. My only initial concern was the oval rear view mirror being a little too small, this was however not a problem as the electronically adjustable wing mirrors are large, and offer excellent visibility. Soon myself and navigator Ed had set off to follow the recommended route from the airport to our base in Gubbio.

The roads were twisty as expected, and followed an extended route through the hills to our destination. The scenery was pretty awesome, all of which helped add a little gloss to the driving experience. Not that it was really needed, the car drove really nicely. Hugging the road it felt solid, firm, but not uncomfortable or too harsh on rougher surfaces. The Sports Plus Suspension is stiffer than the standard Cooper set up, which I didn’t drive, but after a go in this car I didn’t really want to. Possibly for those looking for a more gentile ride the standard Cooper set up could be the best option, from the feedback I heard from others at the event its handling is equally impressive.

Although fitted with the optional 16″ alloy wheels, the Cooper I drove for the weekend did not have run-flat tyres, as the development of these is still being finalised. I took time to switch on and off the Automatic Stability and Traction Control fitted to this particular MINI, as the warning light on the Rev Counter kept reminding me. You could feel the difference slightly, but I would be happier on a track or familiar roads to really try and get the benefits judged better, not on twisty mountainside s-bends with goodness knows what coming the other way, a large drop to one side, and a rock face the other.

The steering in the MINI is very direct and gives you a real sense of confidence as you sling it around the corners. Unfortunately, due to unfamiliar passengers, and even less familiar blind corners, I didn’t come close to getting the car sideways, but I did have a lot of fun, and did have a few tyre squealing moments. The most impressive aspect of the steering is that you could power down, brake, or simply lift off the gas mid corner and still feel confident and comfortable with how the car would behave.

I believe it is due to the terrific handling and chassis that the Cooper has been accused by some of being under powered. In all honesty I don’t believe it is, but I do believe this car can handle a lot more than the 115bhp it has been given, and it will get the chance to prove it with the upcoming Cooper ‘S’, which should be a real blast! The MINI pulled well enough from low down the rev range, and dragged itself up hill with very little fuss. Once you passed around 3.5k rpm the engine noise picked up, and the engine character changed for the better too. Driving through the twists in the low gears with the exhaust gurgling pleasantly behind you was more rewarding than cruising through in the higher gears, but the car was just as happy either way.

At speed and cruising the MINI was refreshingly quiet, with low noise from both the road surface and the wind. This was another pleasant surprise with the car so upright and wide in stance. You could cruise happily at motorway speed in this car for a long time without tiring. This again is a credit to the gearing, which I think BMW have got just right. In the lower gears you do have to rev the engine to get the best, but the ratio in fifth makes the MINI just as happy travelling at high speeds.

In summary I believe the MINI is a superb package, put together with style and a surprising number of little touches that just cap it all off nicely.There is very little to fault, as hard as I tried to find something to grumble about. The Cooper should be great both around town, on country lanes and on the open road. With less horses under the bonnet, the One will be more of a city car, and when it arrives the Cooper ‘S’ should simply be out of this world..