Following our exclusive report from the International MINI Cooper S launch, I have been lucky enough to put a new MINI Cooper S through it’s paces once more, this time in the more familiar climes of Aberdeen in Scotland. The drive took place over two days last week, the weather was varied, but mostly wet, and the roads were fantastic.On the first day I had the company of ClubMINI2 Scotland co-ordinator John Barrie AKA Zooooom (behind the wheel in the image below to the left), and between us we covered about 200 miles over the two day event, and used the best part of a tank of fuel, average consumption was around 25 MPG. But, unless you intend to race your Cooper S and drive it very hard, all the time, you can expect figures better than those!

The car we co-drove on day one was spec’d up to the sum of £19,800. The car had Sat Nav, full leather seats, climate control.. the list went on. This highlights that while the car is competitively priced, starting at £14,500, a fully loaded loaded flagship MINI could never be called cheap! The car I drove on the second day had had the options boxes less enthusiastically ticked, and was closer to £18,000 than £20,000.

Both cars had standard 16″ alloy x-lite wheels, and DSC dynamic stability control fitted. Something else fitted to all these cars, which we believe will become a standard feature, was a peculiar grille on the rear parcel shelf. Apparently this has been added to enhance the sound of the exhaust experienced inside the car. Might seem strange, but the engineers obviously enjoyed the popping and gurgling sounds as much I did. Nice touch.

The first day only offered a relatively short drive, but thanks to John’s local knowledge we had plenty of time to find some fantastic twisty, undulating roads. John had never been in a Cooper S before, and as a regular driver of a MINI Cooper in and around the region we were testing the S, I was keen to get his impressions of the car, especially in comparison to his Cooper.

Needless to say, after being behind the wheel for only a short time, John was already impressed, he noted the obvious power difference, in particular the torque between the two cars. The entire journey was all smiles from start to finish, which I guess is what the MINI is all about, the MINI Cooper S is just the icing on the cake. For those lucky enough to be able to own one of these, I think they are going to get endless smiles per gallon! To cap the evening off, Russ Swift, the famous stunt driver, was on hand to give a fabulous display of his talents, just to show the Cooper still has something to offer even the ‘enthusiastic’ motorist!

Day two couldn’t come quick enough. Route book in hand I set off alone into the Scottish countryside, I knew this day would be fun. The route covered a variety of roads, a few small villages, a dual carriageway, but mostly, and most importantly, some really dramatic twisty road. Just the kind that I believe the Cooper S was designed for.

The car’s handling, which is in essence the same as the MINI Cooper, with added Sports Suspension Plus (standard equipment for the Cooper S) is as you might expect tremendous. The DSC, while active for most of my journey, was not intrusive, but for me it was somehow reassuring to know it was there, ready and waiting to help me dodge the next loose sheep safely. I drove a Cooper S fitted with 17″ wheels in Portugal, also in the wet. On balance I do believe the 16″ wheels offer slightly better handling over all than their larger alternatives.

The truth is, however, if you’re buying a Cooper S, instead of a Cooper or One, which also handle very well, you want to know your driving a Cooper S. That little ‘S’ badge comes with a lot of history, and has to be earnt. Get behind the wheel of this car, and put your foot down, then you’ll know where that extra money went! With the DSC switched off I managed to achieve a respectable 0-60mph time of 7.1 seconds, the conditions were not ideal, and with it’s auto air-con and other nice touches like a sunroof, this was no light weight Cooper S. This route was not about sprinting though, it was all about really driving the car, or as the US MINI marketing folk like to call it, motoring!

I have to say, for all my years driving a classic Mini along some fantastic roads, and spending time in a new MINI Cooper on a circuit, that this is the most fun I have EVER had driving a car! I was grinning from ear to ear, the experience was exceptional. The images below are not great quality, but I hope they give you a little of the ‘behind the wheels’ feeling! The brakes, identical to those fitted to the MINI Cooper, are more than adequate for the job, pulling the car in when it needs to be very nicely indeed. I tried hard to find an aspect of the driving experience that I could fault, and there really wasn’t one, apart from the fact it had to end!

Take my advice, even if you can’t quite stretch to the extra cost of the Cooper S, as soon as they hit the showrooms make you’re way to the dealers, have a test drive, and have some fun. Although, if you do, don’t blame me if you end up putting down a deposit you hadn’t budgeted for. And if you are planning to put down a deposit for one of these beauties, do it quickly, or you could be in for a very, very long wait!

At the end of the day, the best thing about the MINI Cooper S is the complete package. For your money you get a car that a)Looks great, b)Sounds fantastic, c) Goes like the clappers, and d) Makes you feel great driving it. What more can you ask for in a car like this?