Gadgetory

many has been going maxi for the last few years now they've cut back the other way with something that is less and they hope their for more let's drive the 2012 Mini Cooper coupe and check the tech now a Mini Cooper coupe is still a Mini Cooper hardtop from like here on down it's the stuff above the Beltline where it gets all different this windshields kicked back I don't know 10 or 15 degrees more raked the roof is curved and smaller kind of reminds me and one of those little souvenir NFL helmets used to get at the gas station with a fill-up here's a power wing that goes up at highway speeds or if you're bored you can use that little chrome toggle and do it yourself a hatch back here that lifts up two seats not four in many ways this is kind of like the Audi TT for those who want more quark for less cash let's get inside now when you get in the coop everything's pretty much familiar if you know minis at all same dashboard same goofy bulbous pixar rounded stuff going on however we have one of the key things you need if you want to go CNET style and that is this mini connected package that gives you a six and a half inch LCD inside the dinner plate it's not touch it uses the world's smallest controller giving you access to Facebook Twitter web radio Google search so many ways to die and you also get this dynamic music thing which changes music based on your driving speed yeah young males should have that that'd be great for insurance rates the GPS navigation I'm showing you here that's an optional extra 750 on top of the two grand to get this connected package and it works through your iphone in a very nice way notice how when I go to my phone I get a really nice interface using ipod out they really suck up a lot of the Apple interface the cover art don't just give you some crunchy looking text readout now back here where there used to be a couple of back seats now we've got sort of this bigger than a breadbox and quite a bit bigger than a breadbox cargo area but no seats as you can see you do have a structural crossmember here that doesn't appear in the cooper hardtop that's going to give this guy extreme rigidity back here this is a little pass-through deal which will let you put I don't know maybe you set our really short kids skis through to the front but there's not much room lengthwise on this guy so you're not going to go buy a billy bookcase at IKEA but to my mind it's ideal for this litter box it's the perfect cat door under the hood the Cooper coops have the same engine and powertrain and transmissions as a Cooper hardtop whether its base S or the John Cooper Works like we have here now underway initially a little bit of psychology happens as I mentioned this is the same powertrain you'd get in a hardtop whether it's a junk cooper works an S or a standard or base car but because as you walk up to this car and get this sporty image as you walk in and enter it and start it your mind plays tricks on you expect it to be sporty or lighter on its feet more nimble and it kind of feels that way though I know I'm imagining things the only thing that would make that possibly true are slightly sporty or suspension pieces on coupes versus hard tops just a little difference not dramatically so and as I mentioned this big old cross brace back here does really stiffen up what's already a short stiff car the blind spots are a bit of an issue you don't have any significant windows back here in the quarters to look out of they do give you these quarter windows that are unique to the coupe but your passengers head or the headrest are right in the way so they may as well not be there as far as I can tell luckily this car is so short that a quick glance out the mirror out the side window gives you a good view it's not the most claustrophobic carve ever driven here's how I would do a Cooper coupe I wouldn't get the base model that's like getting a really good solid practical Cooper coupe which is an oxymoron instead I'd at least go for the Cooper s we have a John Cooper Works here but you can pass on that get the ass for about 25 3 then add the connected package for 2 grand another 750 if you want the nab and you're in good shape burn about 28,000