MINI Cooper Works

It's impossible not to like Mike Cooper, the genial son of motor racing legend John Cooper. While some sons of famous fathers are insufferably arrogant, Cooper is wonderfully unassuming. In his childhood, he once gave up his bedroom for Steve McQueen, but he's equally happy to talk about the time he and his wife enjoyed a saucy play on Broadway.

Cooper is massively enthusiastic, but then he's got good reason to be. John Cooper Works, the company bequeathed to him by his father, has become MINI's official tuner. Mike Cooper is now to MINI what M Power is to BMW. All the company's products have been tested by the Bavarian mothership and carry a full BMW warranty.

Last year the company introduced a 126-bhp Works version of the Cooper, but this was merely the aperitif before the main course - a 200-bhp reinterpretation of the S. After homologation delays, the Works was beaten to the market by a number of other 200-bhp conversions, including one by ace tuners Hartge. Cooper admits the delay was frustrating, but is confident customers will be enticed by the real deal.

Mike Cooper and I chat inside his solitary MINI dealership. It's called John Cooper Garages and is to be found in West Sussex, England. All around us are mementos of a glorious past. Jackie Stewart's Formula 3 Cooper rests idly on a raised platform, while Jack Brabham's World Championship winning Cooper Climax greets visitors at the door. An original MINI Cooper is also present, keeping an eye on its bastard offspring.

The new S Works models are lined up outside and are surprisingly anonymous. While M Power's products enjoy an aggressive makeover, the Works MINIs are almost indistinguishable from their lesser brethren. Only a dedicated MINI aficionado will sport the discreet Works badges - one on the grille and one on the tailgate - and the pair of stainless-steel exhaust pipes, engraved with the words "John Cooper Works."

Mike Cooper does offer a body kit of sorts for customers determined to empty their wallets. These include some tasty 18-in. alloys and a pair of Sparco buckets, which are a welcome replacement for the shapeless chairs of the standard S. There's also a selection of spoilers and spot lights, but these are an aberration and depart from the purity of the Cooper concept. Much better to let the car's performance do the posing.

The Works conversion kit costs $4,700 plus around $920 for fitting, and can either be retrofitted to an existing S at a MINI dealership or packaged with a new car. It sounds like huge wedge for an extra 37 bhp and 22 lb-ft of torque, but Cooper's conversion is impressively thorough. While other tuners have simply turned up the wick on the standard supercharger, Cooper started afresh. The Works employs a larger, higher-revving compressor that can handle an increase in the boost pressure from 0.7 to 1.0 bar without compromising its longevity.

The cylinder head is also new, and so is the exhaust from the center box back. This serves two purposes. Its primary function is to dissipate the extra heat produced by the higher-pressure blower, but it's also been engineered to provide a more engaging soundtrack. "The system we originally designed was 1 dB too loud to suit the regulations," says Cooper, with obvious regret. "But I think this provides a good compromise."

He's particularly proud of the power and torque curves that, to 6000 rpm, are a transposed version of the standard car's - the torque output of both cars, for example, peak at 4000 rpm. In the upper reaches, though, the graphs diverge. While the standard S runs out of puff after its 6000-rpm peak, the Works continues to pull strongly and the full 200 bhp isn't available until 6950 rpm. This affords the car a subtly different character.

So much for the theory "time for the practical." At a twist of the key, the MINI settles to a deep-throated hum, which serves as the opening bar of the new tune. On the move, the supercharger whine remains the dominant acoustic element, but there's now a deeper, more purposeful rumble from the rear, which grows in intensity as the revs rise. And the increase in volume adds to the impression that the Works is significantly faster than the standard S.

Although an extra 37 bhp sounds paltry, it's worth remembering the Works tips the scales at just 2,513 pounds, matching the mass of the standard car. The power-to-weight ratio has therefore risen by almost 20 percent to a healthy 175 bhp per metric ton. This is enough to reduce the 0-to-62-mph sprint from 7.4 seconds to 6.7 seconds, and to increase the top speed from 135 to 141 mph.

It's a useful improvement, but pace off the line was never the central focus of Cooper's plans. Where the Works car really scores is in the mid-range. The gear ratios are unchanged, but they seem better suited to the Works and there's a definite shift in impetus around 3000 rpm as the supercharger spins into life.

By snap changing at the redline, it's possible to keep the engine between 5500-7000 rpm, where its potent urgency and whining tune are an intoxicating combination. MINI claims a 50-75-mph fourth-gear time of 5.6 seconds, compared with 6.7 seconds for the S, and we've no reason to doubt these figures.

Our test route has been engineered to pass the famous Goodwood circuit, which played host to MINI triumphs of yesteryear. The temptation to explore is too great to ignore and with a few smiles and some banter about "coverage," I'm allowed on to the circuit. Officially, if you're not wearing a helmet at Goodwood, there's a 70-mph speed limit, but no one is around to check.

In these conditions, the full benefits of the Works conversion become apparent. The suspension system has been left completely untouched, which confirms the brilliance of the S's basic setup. This car encourages tomfoolery like no other compact this side of a Mitsubishi EVO.

Although there's a slight steering tug under heavy acceleration in first and second gear, it's by no means intrusive - there's none of the wheel wrenching histrionics that mar the Ford Focus RS. The steering remains as incisive, talkative and linear as ever. The manner in which this car changes direction is extraordinary.

Even the hapless amateur feels like a hero in the Works, but for the skilled, it's also wonderfully adjustable. There's lift-off oversteer aplenty if you're a hooligan, but the more cultured will enjoy the way in which, after a slight lift, the MINI tucks in its nose and cocks its rear by a few degrees. The extra power actually enhances this experience by offering a greater range of options. It's as if the MINI chassis has finally been released by the increased thrust.

Back on the road, the attributes that thrilled on the circuit are faithfully reproduced. Even at relatively modest speeds, the MINI engages its driver to an unrivalled extent. And this tactility has been achieved without sacrificing the ride quality, which remains on the controlled side of firm.

There will be those who point to the cost of the conversion and cry foul. On paper a ratio of $152:1 bhp looks high, especially when Hartge's 200-bhp kit costs just #1761 ($2,750). But this would be to underestimate the thoroughness of the Works modifications or the benefit accrued in retaining a proper three-year warranty.

The conversion work has an impact on this car that's greater than the sum of its parts. That it would be quicker than the standard S was never in doubt, but the extent to which it enhances the chassis is a surprise. This really is a terrific car that stands in comparison with anything that has ever worn the MINI badge. John Cooper can rest easy; his son has done him proud.

Montoya's MINI
"I got a phone call in the office and a voice on the other end of the phone said, "Hello, it's Juan Pablo," recalls Mike Cooper. "I thought it was the chap who looks after our flat in Spain, so I asked him what was wrong."

"No," said the caller, "it's Juan Pablo Montoya from Formula One." The Williams star was after a Works kit for his S, but Cooper was forced to explain that he'd have to wait until the upgrade secured BMW's approval. Now that it has, the Columbian can expect to take delivery some time soon.

"I first met Montoya in the first class cabin on a flight to the Australian Grand Prix," says Cooper, before quickly adding that he got a deal on the tickets. Cooper is clearly a fan of the man as well as the driver. "Montoya knows a lot about the history of the sport. He knew about my dad and what we'd achieved in the past. He's a genuine enthusiast."