[maxxx]

between the cooper s what is the diff of the 04 n 05 model?

[Nicholasp27]

under "news" there is a complete list, but here is what i remember off the top of my head....

stock cd player plays MP3s!!!
driver side visor (very nice!)
7 more horsepower
more aggressive gear ratios
different look xenon headlights
puddle lights (door sill, door handles, etc)
chrome-line interior and chrome exterior available (very nice and tasteful and cheap)
chronograph dial available to replace center-mounted speedo (matter of personal pref)
clock is in different place (next to odometer)
limited-slip differential now available for manual S
automatic w/paddle shifters now available for S
hopefully a lil better build quality

if u have to choose between the 2, go with 05...u get it new and get mp3s, more hp, better gears, lights, chrome, LSD, side visor...

[s_and_m]

05 cars released in 04 do not get the LSD or auto/paddle option.
But they get the rest of the toys

Also the trip computer is reconfigured to give "live" speed and fuel consumption reads as well as average/totals.

Think that the exhaust has been played with to give a beefier burble on over run

S

[bc_seventy_six]

Yeah, i'd say the biggies are:

170bhp
Closer ratios
New supercharger(4th or 5th generation Eaton - cant remember which - but its the charger that they used to fit in the JCW kits)
ECU tweaks
Improved exhaust (which does indeed have a nice pop and crackle on the overrrun)

Others i can remember off the top of my head that werent mentioned before are:

New rear light clusters
Reverse lights moved into the rear light clusters - fog light moved to rear bumper
New antenna base
Lockable glovebox
Coin tray thingy down by handbrake
Storage compartment behind cup holders
Changes to the door panels - easier access to door pockets and also changes to size and shape of (armrest) padding on door panels

I also think there may have been a few suspension tweaks, as i reckon the 05 rides better than the 03 or 04 models. Not sure though.

[maxxx]

now i feel bad about my 04 model... cos the 05 ones seems so much more improvement... mechanically and esthetically.

[s_and_m]

Quote: Originally Posted by maxxx

now i feel bad about my 04 model... cos the 05 ones seems so much more improvement... mechanically and esthetically.

The essential Mininess remains the same, stomp on t gas and don't lift off for corners , whether it's an 04 or 05 you'll have the same smile on your face

S

ps it is a little like buying a PC, it takes me a while to decide on the spec I want and how much I want to pay, then as soon as I buy one the manufacturer releases an upgraded model for the same price a couple of weeks later . When I took delivery of the S Mini had just announced the addition of LSD on the options list too late for me by a couple of months

[harveyjoseph]

Quote: Originally Posted by maxxx

now i feel bad about my 04 model... cos the 05 ones seems so much more improvement... mechanically and esthetically.

I am very satisfied with my '04...