Most basic Mini is the One to have

If the original 1959 Mini’s creator Sir Alec Issigonis was still around today, do you think he’d be mischievously hopping over kerbs in a portly Mini Countryman? Or would he be racing from light to light in a Mini JCW? Don’t bet on it!Assuming the acclaimed designer would want a modern Mini, as opposed to, say, a Bentley, surely it would have to be this One?The new Mini One seems to honour its heritage without even trying. Besides being a successful early pioneer of efficient front-wheel-drive packaging, the Mark I Mini also proved, with its kart-like agility and perky performance in the Cooper versions that followed, that tiny cars could be tons of fun too.The point of that history lesson is that the early Minis manufactured smiles without superlative power outputs and gigantic wheels with wafer-thin tyres and this is where I feel the latest high-performance Minis are losing the plot to some degree.UpgradesThe previous Mini One was rather sluggish, given that it was powered by a detuned 72kW version of the regular Cooper’s normally aspirated 1.6-litre petrol engine, but the new one makes up for past sins with a 1.2-litre version of the high-tech 1.5 tri-cylinder direct-injection turbo motor fitted to the latest Cooper and various lower-end BMW cars.It’s rated at 75kW and 180Nm, and good for a 9.9-second 0-100km/h sprint, according to BMW. In the real world it feels gleefully brisk, so much so that unless you’re the aforementioned quarter-mile junkie, this is quite possibly all the Mini you’ll ever want or need. Cabin smart but skimpyThe interior design still pays tribute to the 1959 original, yet the latest-generation Mini has taken a decisive step upmarket and your view ahead is appropriately smothered in plush, touchy-feely surfaces. That said, you’ll probably to want to replace that skimpy looking two-spoke steering wheel with the optional leather-clad three-spoker that our test car came with.Sadly, buying the cheapest Mini means you can’t go on an exterior personalisation shopping spree as there are no contrasting roof colour configurations, or racy stripes and wheel options, as you find on the Cooper models. As for standard creature comforts, you can count on the essentials such as air conditioning, a radio and electric windows, but you’ll have to turn to the equator-long options list if you want anything fancy. – iol.co.za

Most basic Mini is the One to have

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Republikein 2026-08-04

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Most basic Mini is the One to have

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Republikein 2026-08-04

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