2006 Mini Cooper S Model Update

A Quicker Cooper

The S coupe and convertible are faster than the standard Mini Cooper, thanks to a supercharged engine.

The Mini Cooper S is a more powerful version of its twin, the Mini Cooper, with a 168-hp supercharged four-cylinder engine and a stiffer suspension for sportier handling. Changes are minor for 2006.

The base Cooper makes115 hp and for $500 can be optioned with the same sport-tuned suspension as found on the S model.

2006 Mini Cooper S with Checkmate package + enlarge image  |  view gallery >

Consumer Reports now rates the Mini Cooper and Cooper S as having average reliability, whereas they had been rated with poor reliability in the past.

Convertible renditions of the Cooper and Cooper S were added to the line for 2005. Both feature a fully automatic soft top that incorporates a heated, glass rear window and a unique power-sliding sunroof feature. The latter allows the top to slide open half way, like a sunroof, with the side rails still in place.

Mini offers a high-powered supercharger and other go-fast upgrades for the Cooper S to boost performance. They were developed by renowned U.K. performance shop John Cooper Works, which has a long history with hot-rodding the original Mini.

The base price of the Cooper S coupe increases by $300 and of the convertible by $500. The John Cooper Works tuning kit, available only on the Cooper S coupe and convertible, is now offered as a factory option in addition to still being offered through, and installed at, dealers. Besides boosting engine output to 207 horsepower from the standard 168 hp, the tuning kit includes beefed up brakes and a limited-slip differential.

2006 Mini Cooper S with Checkmate package + enlarge image  |  view gallery >

A new Checkmate package features checkered exterior side decals, a rear spoiler and hood stripes, as well as uniquely patterned cloth sport seats with leather trim, a leather wrapped wheel and a high-gloss, specially patterned dash panel. It also includes a performance wheel and tire package, front fog lamps and Dynamic Stability Control, which helps minimize wheel slippage and prevent loss of control during extreme handling maneuvers.

New interior options include English Leather upholstery, a high-gloss black dash panel and a special Park Lane dash appearance. Exterior options include a silver roof, mirror caps and hood stripes, and new paint choices: Solar Red, Royal Grey and Space Blue. Two no-cost, 15-inch wheel packages are also new.

The Cooper S comes powered by a 168-hp, supercharged, 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine that drives the front wheels via a slick-shifting, Getrag six-speed, manual gearbox. This enables the car to reach 60 mph in 6.8 seconds, which is a full 1.7 seconds quicker than the standard version. A six-speed automatic with steering-column mounted paddle shifters for manual gear selection is a $1,350 option.

2006 Mini Cooper S with Checkmate package + enlarge image  |  view gallery >

A functional hood scoop; unique body-color front and rear bumpers; a rear spoiler; twin center-mounted, chrome-plated tailpipes; side grilles; a chrome-plated, fuel-filler flap; and 16-inch, light-alloy wheels distinguish the Cooper S from the base model.

The Cooper S rides on run-flat performance tires and an upgraded sport suspension for improved handling. The trade-off is a slightly rougher ride with greater tire noise than with the standard version. Antilock brakes with cornering control and Electronic Brake Distribution, as well as front-side airbags, come standard. Dynamic Stability Control is optional.

The car's interior is as stylish as its exterior, with metal toggle switches for some function controls. Well-equipped even in its base form, the Mini offers such high-end options as a navigation system, premium Harmon-Kardon stereo, run-flat tires and Park Distance Control. A number of novel custom paint schemes and interior color combinations are also available, as well as a litany of practical, performance and purely cosmetic accessories.

The Mini Cooper is a modern-day embodiment of the original Mini, which debuted in 1959 as a tiny four-seat car designed to efficiently navigate the U.K.'s narrow roadways. It gained prominence throughout the 1960s via its championships in international rally racing, as well as its mushrooming image as a fashionable petite car, owned by the likes of the Beatles, Peter Sellers and even Enzo Ferrari.

The car was sold only briefly in the U.S. during its 1960s heyday, but it was offered in the U.K. and elsewhere abroad in one form or another through the late 1990s. BMW bought and relaunched the Mini as a line of premium small cars in 2001 (as 2002 models), updating the vehicles' classic styling and proportions with contemporary underpinnings and a sporty character. It quickly caught on with trendy urban dwellers, motoring enthusiasts and those looking to downsize their rides without compromising cachet.

The Mini Cooper S performs well (four out of five stars) on every National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash test.