The recently redesigned 2015 MINI Cooper S Hardtop has an excellent turbocharged four-cylinder engine. It’s uses its 2.0 liters of displacement, twin-scroll turbocharger, VALVETRONIC, direct injection, and dual VANOS to produce 189 horsepower @ 4,700 rpm and 207 lb-ft of torque @ 1,250 rpm. Note that the maximum torque figure is available very low in the range (right above idle). You can feel this usable power and there is barely a hint of turbo lag.
The Cooper S Hardtop 2-door starts at $24,100, but you can continue to add many luxury and convenience options to get the final sticker price over $37,000.
It makes satisfying noises and just accelerates hard whenever you ask. So how does it handle extreme altitude? Does it lose any fun or character? We wanted to find out, so we took it up and over Loveland Pass in the Colorado Rocky Mountain. A road that winds way above the tree line to 11,991 feet above sea level. Check out the video as Roman and Nathan have some mountain road fun.
Andre Smirnov is a life-long automotive enthusiast, writer, reporter, and software engineer. He has been a contributor at TFL since 2011.
