Imagine three siblings — two brothers and one sister. One brother is a good-looking rogue, the other one is the practical and dependable sort, while the sister, well, she’s pretty and spunky. Meet the Mini family in India — the Cooper S, the Countryman and the Convertible.
I could tell you about their venerable ancestor — the 1959 Mini — an engineering marvel which provided the blueprint for virtually all the hatchbacks that you and I drive today. Or I could tell you how BMW took over, resurrected it ten years ago and made Mini a desirable, retro cool brand worldwide. Instead, I will tell you how they are to drive. You see, they share a lot of traits but on the move, exhibit their own individual personas.
My pick of the lot is easily the bonkers Mini Cooper S — not surprising, as we handsome devils generally like to hang out with each other. It wears the respectable veneer of a retro classic, but underneath, it is a proper thug. While all the three Minis are eyeball magnets on Indian roads, the Cooper S has a menacing look to it, with additional intakes on the bonnet and on the front diffuser to snort more air in and plenty of other go-faster bits. What about those two racing stripes on the hood? It may not be proven, but hey, they make the car go faster, don’t they? Peer under the hood and you can see what transforms a bread-and-butter Mini into a potent Cooper S.
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