How exactly do four generations of Mini, from today’s F56 right the way back to the Issigonis-designed original, cope when let loose on a test track carved from ice and snow?
Best of all, where the later cars’ weight means they want to push on in the corners, the original’s tiny dimensions and featherlight construction mean it darts into corners, with the rear axle feeling super-agile, like it’s on casters. Off the throttle, the back swings round in the most benign and adjustable manner.
It’s great to drive too. I admit to being a fan of this generation of Mini as an owner of a slightly later Cooper S. Compared to that and the later generations, the R50 Cooper isn’t particularly quick, but it feels sweeter to drive. The 1.6 engine, now a shared development between BMW and Peugeot, runs more smoothly than the unit in the R50, but is also slightly less characterful. It’s a similar story for the interior, which is arguably better built, but slightly more plasticky and with less retro charm.And so to the present day. Where the second-generation new Mini built on the substance of the original reboot, the third generation was a step change. And not necessarily for the better.
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