The Mini Cooper is fresh from a complete redesign that was launched for the 2007 model year. To meet European environmental and fuel-economy requirements,
BMW designed a completely new engine in cooperation with Peugeot. It produces approximately the same horsepower as before: 118 in the Mini Cooper and 172 in the Mini Cooper S. But now a turbocharger in the Cooper S, in place of the old supercharger, delivers 177 pound-feet of torque from 1600 to 5000 rpm, significantly improving the sportier model's performance.
This second-generation version continues to generate smiles on the faces of passersby. That's an impressive feat given the first-generation models have been with us since 2000 and the current version looks very similar.
The Mini Cooper brings smiles to the faces of its drivers because it's a lot of fun to drive. It's also a practical car, with comfortable seats, useful cargo capacity, and an EPA-rated City/Highway 28/37 miles per gallon.