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New MINI Cooper S on sale from June

A 163bhp, supercharged MINI Cooper S will be on sale from June, at an on-the-road price of £14,500. The S uses the same 1.6-litre, 4-cylinder transverse engine as existing MINI models, but breaks the “magical” 100bhp per litre figure through the use of supercharger and intercooler technology. Complementing the uprated engine is a new six-speed gearbox.

ABS, CBC (cornering brake control), EBD (electronic brakeforce distribution) and ASCandT (automatic stability control and traction) come as standard, as does MINI’s Sports Suspension PLUS. A host of styling details differentiate the new Cooper S from the MINI Cooper, most markedly the air intake scoop on the redesigned bonnet, chunky bumpers, centrally-mounted twin tailpipes and black side sills.

The new model appears on the market some 39 years after the launch of the original ‘S’, which so dominated the Monte Carlo rallies of the mid-1960s. The company tells us that 1700 customers have already placed advance orders for the Cooper S.