Reinventing an icon isn't a walk in the park. Instead of simply writing a new book, you effectively take an existing book, study the earlier and later chapters, and then come up with a new way to bridge the gap, such that it appeals to as many readers of all ages as possible.
If we consider that analogy, when the good folk at BMW were developing the all-new R50 MINI a-decade-and-a-half ago, the scale of the task must've been akin to reworking Wuthering Heights for the 21st century – and it wasn't even written in their own language to begin with!
But the many, many nights sustained by tea instead of the usual coffee paid off. In spite of teething issues in the early models, the MINI marque is arguably the most successful reincarnated car brand of our time; amidst its reborn Volkswagen Beetle and Fiat 500 contemporaries, the driving force behind it all that is the MINI Hatch has made a significant mark worldwide.
We arrive now at the F56 MINI - "the new original." Assuming "original" refers to Issigonis' genesis, this seems an injustice, given that the new MINI is more of a Maxi than ever before. But surely we're past the point wondering if Sir Alex is turning over in his grave; this is already the third iteration of BMW's MINI, and a model in its own right. At least we don't have to worry about water seeping into the distributor.
So, if it doesn't quite hark back to its plebeian economy car origins, what does it achieve? Quite a lot, as a day of driving the Cooper and Cooper S in sunny and sandy Puerto Rico revealed. Is it a better car than its acclaimed R56 predecessor? Join us as we attempt to find out.
All about the F56 MINI, including a huge photo gallery, in here.
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