New Cooper S Spy Shot

[Tim]

This seems more complete than previous spy shots - hope they don't have the air intake in the production version with black paint around it like this one. Otherwise out with the paint brush.

http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=3612

[jfunkhouse]

Nice picture. There are only a couple of things i would change on the S. Perhaps it would be a bit nicer if they found some other way of putting that scope on but on the other hand it is also really visible so i guess people will know that you have a beast of a small car. hehe. I also wish they would paint the wheel wells on the S or something like the front lip and side skirts. But hey, most of that stuff will probably be customizable anyway. I can't wait to see more. If anyone finds more pics post them!. Please. I saw one picture of a red S in one of the magazines. Which one I am not sure.

Jay

[Andy E]

There are plenty of good photos of the Cooper S in the Nov 3rd 1999 issue of Autocar.
There are pictures taken at Longbridge of an early prototype during assembly, including underbonnet and interior shots, and others taken during hot testing in Death Valley that year.
Auto Express 30th Nov 1999 has some Cooper S spy shots too, but none of the front of the car.

[BruceK]

Great picture and article, but yet another mention of late availability for the S model (mid to late 2002!).

This is getting depressing.

[Paul]

We should have some more exclusive spy shots of the 'S' on this site soon if all goes to plan.

As for the late availability, I would be surprised to see the 'S' on sale in the UK before next summer at the earliest to be honest, based on some reliable informatiom I have been given. Whether or not it will be on sale worldwide at the same time, I do not know. Expect late 2002, then you wont feel let down if it's any earlier.

[doug]

Am I the only one who thinks that single front scoop ruins the looks? The twin scoops looks soooo much better, as well as compliments the twin exhaust. Plus, don't we HAVE to have the MINI wing emblem on front? I know, it's only a spy shot . . .

[I'd post the cool drawing of the bright blue "S" with the twin scoops, cooper stripes and body colored mirrors and trim, but I forgot where I saw it - I have it as wallpaper].

[digidelia]

I agree with you... the first time I saw it I thought it looked really out of place. But then again, that's what I thought about the center mounted speedo the first time I saw it, now I can't picture the mini without one.

I still think the twin scoops at the top of the hood looked a lot cleaner and fit the overall styling of the mini better. I hope this is something that the designers and engineers will reconsider before they mass produce the S.

...just my opinion...

Scott

[Andy E]

The picture of the car with two scoops isn't even a Cooper S. It was an edited picture of a Cooper done by Auto Express. Same thing with the 'Alpina' S and plenty of others. In this case I think they pasted on a couple of air vents off a Metro. They are nowhere near the intercooler so they would be useless anyway.
The pictures in Autocar definitely ARE of a Cooper S but even these are no longer completely correct as the seats are from a Freelander and a lot of detail changes have been made since.
Remember that most of the spy pictures you see in magazines are heavily edited before printing and if they can't get a phot of a rumoured new model, it only takes a few minutes and a bit of imagination to generate one!

[Tim]

There are two new spy shots of the Cooper S in one of the magazines out today - AutoExpress, I think - someone should scan them onto the site for our international friends?

[Paul]

I have a few Cooper 'S' spy shots on my PC, but I don't have permission to reproduce them.... but I hope to get some soon I can use.

Auto Express and Auto Car have Cooper 'S' spy shots this week, both different too. I may call them later and ask if we can use them.

If anyone was to email Paul@mini2.com with some photo's though, I could maybe publish those, as I have no idea where they came from.

[rdcrdc3]

I think that the scoop in the photo looks like ****. Excuse the profanity. It ruins the whole design of the hood " bonnet". Is the production model scoop also going to be painted in a contrasting color? I hope not.

[Paul]

The intake hole wont look like in the spy shots.

Apparantly BMW insist on covering prototype and test cars in black tape (see almost every MINI spy shot). I think, to be honest, the 'S' could go without the tape, and people may only think it's a Cooper, but with black tape all over the disguishing features, it stands out like a sore thumb!

Don't panic about the intake, that's all I'm saying!

B)

[jfunkhouse]

Does anybody know where i could find those new cooper S photos? Any links. Its driving me nuts.

Jay