Michigan's bumpy roads quickly exposed the evil side of the suspension's personality, though. We assigned part of the blame to the short, stiff sidewalls that give the Dunlop tires both their V speed rating and run-flat capability. The tires upset the car over bumps, and the suspension transmitted too much noise into the cabin on imperfect roads.
West Coast editor Jason Cammisa chimed in with additional complaints. "The Mini's suspension slaps into the bump stops when you're crossing potholes that a Volkswagen GTI swallows whole," he opined. "And the new electrically assisted power steering does a poor job of transmitting road feel."
In contrast to high praise for this car's sharp turn-in agility, no logbook commentator failed to mention the Mini Cooper S's Achilles' heel: torque steer. One editor pulled no punch, noting, "This is some of the worst torque steer I've ever experienced. This chassis can't hold a straight line under heavy acceleration on anything but smooth tarmac."
A chorus of gripes prompted further investigation into the issue. We decided to sample a Cooper S without the optional limited-slip diff. "Overall, Minis drive better with open differentials," Noordeloos reported. "There was a bit more wheel spin, but the torque steer was significantly less violent."
The positive side of torque steer is torque, something our Cooper S demonstrated in spades. Thanks to its direct fuel injection and twin-scroll turbo, boost was always available for the taking. A trip to the test track revealed that the second-generation Mini not only runs expeditiously but also competitively against its mortal enemy: VW's GTI. Both clocked 0 to 60 mph in 6.4 seconds and a 96-mph trap speed in the quarter mile. Although the GTI beat the Cooper S by a tenth in the quarter, by the time the Mini reached 100 mph it had grabbed the lead on its way to a 140-mph top speed (versus the VW's electronically limited 130-mph terminal velocity).
What keeps the GTI-versus-Cooper-S race from being declared a dead heat is the significant difference we noted in gas mileage: 23 mpg for the Volkswagen versus 28 mpg overall for the Mini. While both require premium fuel, the Mini's 20 percent efficiency advantage and its ability to achieve more than 30 mpg on trips (plus nearly 400 miles between refueling stops) are key reasons why hordes of buyers are now beating a path to dealers' doors. A Mini Cooper S may be the best combination of speed and fuel efficiency money can buy. ...next page >>