Lean and mean machine: We check out this year’s Car of the Year, the amazing Mini Cooper S

The Mini Cooper S.
CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON

Nowadays, great things come in small packages. The Mini Cooper S is a proof of that.
The quick and nimble sporty hatchback was recently awarded the Car Awards Group, Inc. (CAGI) Car of the Year-Philippines (COTY-P) plum over some of the best vehicles in the Philippine market today.
Aside from that, the Mini Cooper S was also adjudged the Best Luxury Compact Car of the Year of the same event.
So impressive was the Mini Cooper S that it was said to be “the fastest Mini tested at COTY-P so far, with performance rivaling that of sports cars from previous test fests.”
The award-giving group noted that the Mini Cooper S was also more luxurious than previous Minis, with its combination of power and luxury blowing away the competition.
Cebu Daily News had a chance to take a closer look at this year’s Car of the Year winner when Mini Cebu, through its president Kris Lyndon Go, offered to lend us a test unit for a weekend.
We immediately checked out some of the winning features of the Mini Cooper S, which is the higher variant of the F56 model we tested and wrote about in the middle of this year.
The previous Mini we tested had a 1.5-liter twin turbo engine. Bustling beneath the bonnet of this variant is a 2.0 liter inline-4 Twin Power Turbo gasoline engine that produces 192 horsepower and 280 newton-metre of torque.

Twin exhaust pipes add a sportier look in the rear.
CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON

This engine reportedly can reach a top speed of 235 kilometers per hour but we didn’t have a chance to do that since no road can accommodate that kind of speed here in Cebu. But we can surely attest that it can go from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.8 seconds as stated in its website, mini.com.ph.
Amazingly, this little beast can be tamed too, thanks to the different driving modes offered with a twist of a lever around the shifter.
When driven in green mode—the other two driving modes are mid and sports—it has the potential to register a fuel efficiency rating of 21.7 km/L.
Not bad for a car that has go-kart skills.
While on the matter of go-karts, the Mini can actually be driven like one as it shares similar features such as short overhangs.
But is isn’t only on the performance side that this vehicle shines. It is also a stunner on the road.
Like what we said in the previous review, the Mini has this unique elegant look that attracts eyes, be it those of the young or old.

John Cooper Works steering wheel makes you feel like a racing legend.
CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON

This Cooper S variant is made more attractive with an impressive front fascia highlighted by honeycomb grilles and two larger lower air intakes that complement the signature round head lamps and fog lamps.
The Cooper S also has 17-inch alloy wheels and center-aligned twin exhaust pipes at the rear to make it more sporty. Proud red S badges on the front grille and back make a clear athletic statement.
Inside, the mood lights are still the first that catches our attention. The S variant gets sporty cloth-leather bucket front seats and a John Cooper Works-styled steering wheel to make it more enticing.
Now when we have great performance, eye-catching looks, stylish interior all rolled into one lean package, we believe we’ve got for ourselves a winner.
We’re sure the people at CAGI thought that way too. Enough reason to name it this year’s best. /with a report from motioncars.inquirer.net

Under the hood is a 2.0 liter inline-4 Twin Power Turbo gasoline engine that produces 192 horsepower and 280 newton-metre of torque. This engine can reach a top speed of 235 kilometers per hour.
CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON