TCC Test: 2007 MINI Cooper S

Updating an icon can go horribly awry, can't it? On the one extreme, you end up with New Coke and what passes for Pop-Tarts these days. On the other, you come out with something quite tasty and meaningfully improved, like the latest MINI Cooper S.

Read "Preserving an icon, while letting out its trousers a bit." @ The Car Connection

Finally, a telescopic steering wheel! That's the only complaint I have re the current car's driving position.

I have no doubt BMW kept the car's fun-to-drive factor, and I hope reliability and build quality improve dramatically, as they are the current car's Achilles' heel.

Now, let's see what BMW means when they talk about a new turbo-diesel with two different power levels: I'm thinking it's the PSA 1.6L with 90hp DIN (MINI ONE D) and 110hp DIN (MINI COOPER D), even though the girl who sold me my car said the new COOPER D would have a 120hp engine.