First drive: 2010 Mini Mayfair Cooper S in Dubai
The new Mini has looked pretty much the same since its debut as a lifestyle car sometime in late 2001. There was a major refresh in 2007, with a facelift and new engines. We drove all the body variants since then, including the Cooper S hatchback, the Cooper S convertible and the Clubman S. Then the next big change came in 2010, with a switch to a turbocharged 1.6-litre with a smidge more power for the Cooper S. That engine also made it into the “Mayfair” special edition. We’ll now see what makes it so special.
Truth be told, the Mayfair is nothing more than a regular 2010 Cooper S with a paint job, custom interior and badges. It celebrates the 50th anniversary of the original Mini. The Mayfair does so with a brown paint scheme with racing stripes, stripes on the mirrors, stripes on the brown-plastic parts of the dashboard, a grille badge, white-painted wheels and some nice door-step plates. It comes standard with items that are optional on the regular Mini, such as the brown upholstery, panoramic glass roof, navigation system and grille-mounted driving lights.
There isn’t much new to say about the interior beyond what we’ve already covered in previous reviews. It is spacious up front, cramped in the back, has just enough elbow space, and comes with a boot big enough to fit a week’s worth of groceries, but no more, unless you flip down the rear seat. Somehow, they also managed to integrate three cup-holders in the limited space, for the Starbucks crowd.
The ergonomics are intentionally quirky, according to Mini, but we had an easier time getting around the toggle switches, rotary buttons and joystick-controlled screen due to past experience. However, it takes ages to enter waypoints in the navigation system and we still couldn’t find a “point of interest” feature where we could just enter the name of a mall or a hospital. Choosing radio stations and songs can also be confusing, but is worth it once you figure it out. And you still have to use the keyfob to unlock, insert the fob into a hole and start the car by pressing a button, even though the key is fully electronic.
Our little Mayfair had the new direct-injection 1.6-litre turbo 4-cylinder that makes 184 hp and 240 Nm of torque. This may seem like a small increase of 12 horses over the previous engine, but we believe we actually felt the difference. It felt more muscular on the roll, and actually gave the impression of a fast car rather than just a quick car, even when saddled with an automatic. There is a solid kick from the get-go, squealing its tyres as it takes off, and it doesn’t let up until redline.
Of course, the Mini is a noisy car, and all that buzzing from under the bonnet makes it feel faster than it really is. Our 0-100 kph runs during November netted a time of 7.2 seconds, pretty much the same as the older version, so it isn’t a whole lot faster now. But we assume it has better mid-range torque, and the issue of delayed responses to throttle inputs have been somewhat resolved, somthing that plagued the old automatic models. Gears can be manually changed via paddle-shifters, though they aren’t particularly instant in their responses.
What remains responsive though is the front-wheel-drive Mini platform. It still handles like a go-kart, grips like glue, brakes like a squirrel, and turns at a twist of the wrist. You will feel everything going on under the seat, and you can make the car dance to any tune with one hand on the firm steering wheel and the other hand firmly on the handbrake.
For all the fun it offers, the Mini is also economical, possibly slightly more so than before, as we netted 9.8 litres/100 km in mixed driving conditions.
The Mini remains one of the most fun cars ever to hit the streets. It is very expensive for what it is, at Dhs 155,000, but you can get the same amount of fun from any old Cooper S. The Mayfair package will simply make your car look like something out of a 1960s road rally.
For full reviews, prices and specs, see the Mini Cooper buyer guide.
Comments
G2
I’ve driven Coopers of ma frnds and I do agree its a fun to drive car. But a price tag of AED 155,000 ??? I agree to what Mash said. Its expensive and never worth the price. If itz a 2 door cool car u wnt, I’d suggest to go for a VW Scirocco or a Golf instead … and save the remaining 20,000-30,000 bucks !!!
ROJ
Its a nice car and definitely genuine but explain to me why i should spill AED 155K on a mini compact car?? I can get the same stuff for 1/2 the price(Clio 197 sport).. or get a proper rwd sports car that would even be cheaper to maintain (350z) or a V8 muscle car (mustang)..
This is an absurd price tag.. Even AED 90K is unacceptable on cars of such segment..
“its compact size wise only”
Aditya
A matchbox for the price of a zippo lighter !!
Abdullah
I agree with ROJ, this car is very expensive for its class. Other brands of this class do not exceed a price tag of 120K if really fully loaded.
Minis are fun to drive, they are very well built. They look cool, and they attract people on the roads.
But, as a guy, I may not want to get one. Girls before age of marriage, maybe they would like to drive one. Still not cool for them either.
I am trying to find a customer for this product only,
Fahad
I disagree with ROJ. Mini Cooper S is special. The Clio 197 Sport is a competitor, but the difference is big. Clio may be faster and more powerful, but you wont get the beauty of the Mini. The interior of the Mini is great. You even wont get a similar sound system. Add to all this, the price is not 1/2. Its pretty close
And remember that there is even a better version of Mini Cooper S for 170K.
350Z is no longer produced. And its in a different category from the Mini S. Nissan is also cheaper compared to Mini considering this is British and the other is Japanese.
Mostang is also another class and can not compare to the Cooper S.
Adam
I disagree with all the above for the below reasons.
– Mini is a car with lots of haritage, it has won many many races and rally’s in the past. This is something that justifies the premium price tag
– FYI the mayfair edition is priced at 155k, however a full option cooper S is 125k
– Please dont compare a french made renualt to a german built car by BMW Group leaders in high performance vehicles. Go inside both cars and judge for your self the material used inside and out.
– The Mini car is not just a car its a lifestyle brand. For example people buy ipods because ipods are not just another mp3 player its a lifestyle brand.
– The safty options that are standard in a mini surpass any other car in its catagory please go and look for your self.
ABS
CBC (Cornering Break Control)
DST (Dynamic Stability Control)
ASC-T (Automatic Stability Control + Traction)
6 aribags standard
Ragid Chasis (which scored higher in saftey for side impact then the 5 series)
You can never get as much car for the price 125k. You will get as much attention in one as you would in a lambo, given its charming sporty chracter which is unique to mini and only mini…
So a good advise for my fellow friends above. Is to stop judging the car by its price tag and small look alone but to look further in to the brand it self and what it means to be MINI.
Thanks
–
paul
hello
i am living in QATAR and i love to know i bout mini cooper cars price .
plz send me information . tax free , i am from europe.