Mini Cooper S (R53) | PH Private Area
Great spec, good ad, lots spent recently – and not much left to buy now…
By Matt Bird / Tuesday, 7 November 2023 / Loading comments
It doesn’t seem that long ago (even though it actually was) that a Mini like the one seen here was the not-a-proper-Mini. It was too big to ever be a Mini kind of Mini – a Bini. How the tables have turned, eh? With the electric-only Cooper imminent and a monstrous new Countryman PHEV also on the horizon, it’s all too easy to look wistfully back on supercharged Minis of the early 2000s.
For a number of reasons, actually. Firstly, this original Frank Stephenson vision of a 21st-century Mini still looks fantastic. There aren’t many cheap cars from 2001 that have aged this well (though no doubt this is when someone pipes up to say we need to wait 40 years to judge it). Helps too that the spec of this one is spot on, with the JCW wheels, white roof, and a smart shade of blue that a more knowledgeable Mini fan will know. Xenon lights keep it modern as well.
The supercharged super Coopers also remain loved because they’re still such fun to drive, characterful powertrain complementing the fizzy handling just perfectly. A new Cooper S will have modes to contrive a sense of fun – these ones were in the mood all the time. And more power was easy to come by with a shorter supercharger pulley.
Thirdly, the temptation of an original lingers because they’re still relatively affordable. Their popularity new (and one or two subsequent reliability concerns) has kept values pegged at a realistic level, GP aside. For a taste of old-school hot hatch fun (because that’s what the turn of the century surely is now), there’s a lot going for a Mini Cooper S. Especially with so many moving to much more expensive territory.
If proof of diligent ownership is lots of money spent, then this R53 is the perfect example. Since the summer of 2021 it has benefitted from a new clutch and flywheel, braided brake hoses, a new timing chain, a Milltek resonated exhaust, a new water pump, fresh NGK spark plugs, a supercharger service (including a shorter pulley upgrade) and KW V1 coilovers. That’s far from an exhaustive list of the work, either, with plenty of receipts to back it up. There’s little more reassuring with old fast cars than lots of paperwork and good branded parts.
Of course, it isn’t perfect. This Mini is 19 years and 120,000 miles old – it would be daft to expect anything less. The most significant issue to sort out would be a new heater matrix, which the seller suggests would be their next job. Otherwise, it’s little things like air-con (compressor and pipes work okay!), a wheel refurb and a small dent on the bonnet. Nothing that’s going to get in the way of a whole lot of fun. The Cooper S is for sale to make way for something larger, and offered at £3,500. It’s certainly possible to spend a whole lot more for a much less entertaining hot hatch. And as that new era kicks in, don’t be surprised if that hankering for the old ways grows even stronger. Let’s hope they’re still as affordable then…
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