[cristo]

Look for a hood scoop (and a supercharger).

Can't go wrong with this method unless someone swapped hoods on a
normally aspirated model to make it look like a Cooper S.

All the auto R50 MINI Coopers have the CVT, (and the non-supercharged
1st gen R52 MINI Cooper convertibles).

All the auto R53 MINI Cooper S have the Aisin (as well as
the supercharged 1st gen R52 MINI Cooper S convertibles).

 

[cristo]

The car I'm looking at is a 2005 standard Mini, not the S. So that makes it an R53 right ?

Also, according to a PDF on BMW planet (can't post a link here til I've made 15 posts) It says from Jan 2005 the Cooper S will have the Aisin but the standard S will continue with the CVT. But other stuff I've read says from 2006 onwards all Mini's have the Aisin.

May be safer to stick with the R55 & R56.

MINI Cooper is R50 (CVT) made up through 2006
MINI Cooper S (with supercharger) is R53 (Aisin) made up through 2006

MINI Cooper convertible (R52) can be either a Cooper or a Cooper S all the way through 2008 model year. They were still gen 1 cars
until 2009.

Here's a drawing of the Aisin unit (click on the link below):
RealOEM.com * BMW R53 Cooper S Automatic transmission GA6F21WA

And here's a drawing of the CVT unit:
RealOEM.com * BMW R50 Cooper Automatic gearbox GACVT16Z

Also, if you only have a back view of the car, one exhaust on the right is a regular Cooper, and a dual exhaust in the middle is a Cooper S.

 

[cristo]

Very True.

I should have said:
An auto MINI Cooper S (with supercharger) is R53 (Aisin) made 2005 through 2006

 

[cristo]

I'd never get an automatic transmission car, period, for personal reasons, but if I did,
I'd never get an auto 1st gen standard MINI Cooper, although an auto 2nd Gen standard MINI Cooper would be ok.
If considering an S model, I'd choose a late (2005-2006) auto 1st gen MINI Cooper S over an auto 2nd gen MINI Cooper S.

 

[cristo]

Aisin