[angrybeats]

Take a look here


http://www.ex-s.net/cgi-bin/ultimate...1;t=002119;p=1

[RickB]

Struggling with English grammar they way he was, I can't be sure, but I believe the first guy thinks the Cooper S is a car for gays. Other than that, it was all a bunch of whining about how that car mag done 'em wrong, by not falling all over themselves with praise for a fat, rolling doorstop.

[MiniMayhem]

Though later on...one Type R board member wrote: "What a motor, the new 'S' is a lovely looking motor (just seen a Blue one with a white roof and wheels), and has a pretty good turn of pace.... Had a bit of fun with one on the way home from Swindon...." So if the S was described by a Type R owner as having a "pretty good turn of pace" - especially when compared against a Type R - it must be quick! This probably shows the 'real world' advantage of low down torque that the S offers in comparison when dealing with real traffic, not 0-60 drag strip runs.

All this shows that the boy racer crowd it attracts (in the UK at least) is yet another reason not to buy a Type R - I will be buying Autocar more often from now onwards

[angrybeats]

Autocar has a full performance report of the S next week. Still only refer to EVO for comparison, don't really rate Autocar for their reports.

[ELISEBOY]

angrybeats - looks like you gave as good as you got there, they seem a real hostile bunch and very hateful of the MINI

got to say that if the honda had one i cannot see 5 pages of comments on here about how the reporters are all on the payroll
blah blah blah!

[MiniMayhem]

Quote:

Originally posted by angrybeats
Autocar has a full performance report of the S next week. Still only refer to EVO for comparison, don't really rate Autocar for their reports.

Autocar road tests are OK; they did attempt to qualify their (slightly unusual) results and they have recently improved their general ratings system and updated their road test summaries (which were in some cases woefully out of date). I agree though that Evo do very good and fair tests, and there is another magazine (no names) that is far worse than Autocar...

[noahe]

That's funny. Don't they know their Civic Type-R's are faster than the Cooper S? Hell, even the US Spec Civic SiR is faster... Shouldn't that keep them happy?

Anyways, looks like AutoCar sees it our way. It's not about refinement, it's about being comfortable at speed. Even happy. Sure, the Civic will out-perform the Cooper S at a stoplight, but come on, should every daily drive be a tiring race, at the ragged edge of adhesion?

I'm buying our S for looks, quality, and performance. In that order.

[Basil]

Just as well Jon was there.........

[James Haigh]

Absolutley brilliant reading that!! Nearly got sacked from work for laughing out so loudly!!
I really want to race a Type R when I get my S. 6.8 secs against 6.9 secs to 60, stick in a few twist and turns, then lets see who blows who off the road.
I think the CTR is a great performance car in it's class and I don't think anyone here will dispute that but at the end of the day it is just a cheese grater on wheels.
One thing that I had to slightly agree on, on the Honda Forum was that the MINI could have a slight "fashion victim" side about it. Lets come off it lads if you were out on the prowl after pub throwing out time on a Saturday night I think we'd have more chance of a bit of action in our S's rather than an MPV.

[MichaelK]

I've been to that forum a couple of times, a lot of them do seem to get very upset and deffensive about thier CTR's if anyone has anything negative to say against the car. Oh well, at least it's somewhat more laid back on MINI2

[bigbaddaboom]

That was mildly amusing...the funniest bit being at the end where they all start getting happier because the CTR wins a head-to-head in AutoExpress. Its also great to see that they're all really comfortable with their sexuality over there as well.

[Yurinaut]

Just a note regarding cars that are supposedly "faster". Only the track will tell what is faster. At VIR (Virginia International Raceway) an 1100cc Mini held the track record for years. Now, there were big horsepower muscle cars that ran that track that could have eaten that Mini up in a stoplight race but, when it came to putting it all together, the Mini was the victor. Don't just say the CTR is faster, because when it comes down to the the proof (times on a real race track), we may get surprised.

Side Note: IMHO the CTR looks like a little minivan. The automotive press has indicated many times that the Si is more fun to drive since you actually have some horsepower in the midrange without having to absolutely wind it out to get some fun out of it. Regardless, I know the CTR is a nice car, it's just nto a MINI no matter how you look at it. Fior some people, that's no problem, for me, I'll take the MINI any day.

Cheers,
Mike

[G8BAD_COOPER]

just read it, cant believe how uptight it is on that Forum, Im glad we're not like that.....

MINI a gay car??? ha but it'd still kick they're ars down a winding road....

[CSDan]

unfortunatley, at this time-we here in the states will not be able to do our own on track comparisons. However, we will have some fun beating on the Si's here. To bad Honda decided that they should fatten up the Si--now at over 2700lbs-- and continue to give it crappy tires--195/60-15's. I hated them on my last Si and swaped them almost immeidiatley. When paying over 20k for my hot hatch--it better have the rubber to match the its pace. I saw one of the new Si's spec'ed from my local honda dealer at over 22k before tax--Thats nearly 5k more then I paid for my old Si in 99, and mine was quicker, more fun to drive, and looked a lot better. Thanks BMW for creating a terrific alternative Hot Hatch and bringing it to our shores! Now if only Alfa would come back! I should have the MINI paid off by the time the 147 GTA works out any bugs and hopefully crosses the pond

Motor on fellas and I'll see oyu at the track

Daniel

[S200]

I only managed to read half the thread, as most of it was them with their fingers stuck somewhere.

The definition of hot hatch is always an interesting one, and what makes the best.

Is it the quickest
Is it the best handling
What about the interior
etc.

To my small mind, the S has from a not yet driven it angle all the right ingredients.

Speed wise its OK. Ive no doubt that in the full test Autocar will time the S to 100 at about 18.5 sec. This will be a couple down on Type R and even a 172. But can you buy a 40bhp upgrade kit with full warranty for either of these two cars, NO. With 200 bhp I'd guess at a 14-15sec 0-100 time which will make the S Scooby quick.

Handling wise, its going to be pretty equal between the S, Type R and 172. However the Type R is a pretty big car, and will disguise some of the feelings of speed. Is that what you want ?

Looks wise. Sometimes I have taste (my old E46 M3), and sometimes no taste (my current STI 7 with Pink Badges ). But this contest is easy. A good hot hatch needs to look good IMHO.

Interior - not even worth typing on this one.

The best hot hatch is about the complete package. In the old days if it had just been about speed, then everyone would of had a R5 or 205GTI. Some wanted style, speed, handling, build quality and reliability. This is was the MK1&II golf were so highly regarded.

The S has the right ingredients, will it deliver ?

Jonathan