Mini Cooper Sport Customization Cascade

Over more than half a century, the basic look of a Mini Cooper hasn't changed much. It's still that short, little box with the wide mouth and bug eyed "face." Yet the changes that have been going on beneath that exterior represent a true evolution of an automobile.

From the time he first Mini Coopers were designed to meet the challenge posed by British Motor Company's chairman, they have embodied innovation and forward styling. While the engine used in that first car was the same 4-cylinder, water-cooled engine used by others, for example, it was the first time it had been turned sideways under the hood. Since the 1970s, this "transverse" mounting has been pretty much the standard in all small cars.

Some of the car's design innovations have sparked a chain reaction that has rippled through the car's development for more than half a century. The car's wheel alignment is one such catalyst. While nearly every car has four wheels (there have been some three-wheeled cars), the Mini Cooper was the first to push each of them to the very corners of the car.

This completely changed the feel and handling of the car to very closely resemble a go cart. Because the car can so easily handle sharper turns at higher speeds than many others, the adjective used to describe it most is "nimble."

There was a downside to that sharp turning radius and nimbleness that had to be addressed in the design of the Mini Cooper Sport model in particular. To keep the driver and passengers from being flung from side to side when making a turn, the car's seats had to be more contoured and padded than the hard, flat backed seats found in most other cars of the day.

Speaking of driver comfort, there has even been a shoe designed to ensure optimal shifting back and forth from brake to accelerator while you scream around those tight corners. It's actually a two part rubber shoe. An interior bootie has an outer screen patterned rubber side that grips the inside of the outer shoe with a matching screen print to grab hold and not slip off the pedals. It keeps your feet cushioned and comfortable during long drives.

Even the tires themselves had to be handled a little differently in the Mini Cooper than other cars. Because of its extremely small size, there was no where in the design for a spare tire. So a special 16" runflat tire was developed and a warning system was added to the car. When the tire pressure falls beneath a certain level, the warning kicks on telling the driver they must find a place to repair or replace the defective tire within 50 miles before it goes completely flat and undriveable.

Tire pressure was just one of the major car systems monitored and displayed in a center console. Only recently have many other car companies begun introducing built in monitors like this for current gas mileage for example. The Mini Cooper's speedometer is placed in this center console along with fuel level, LED readouts from the on-board trip calculator, coolant temperature, any optional navigational systems and of course, that tire pressure warning indicator.

While the early models of this center console were very futuristic, when BMW restyled the car in 2000, they introduced a very retro style to the console with roll cage typle tubes meant to remind people of the Mini Cooper Sport's racing heritage.That same roll bar styling is carried through the interior door handles as well.

Yet all of these things are "standard" to the MINI. Like all other cars, the Mini Cooper Sports come with option packages called "salt" "pepper" and "chili" that allow owners to add such interior items as storage nets behind the front seats, seat height adjustors, and leather or leather and cloth seat options. Sports suspensions and 16" alloy rims, chrome inserts in the bumpers and even rood spoilers rev up the sportiness of the Mini Cooper S.

The overall shape and size of the Mini Cooper Sport is also quite distinctive. From the large air intake scoop to the return of the "spats" (fenders of contrasting colors) that appeared on the very first Mini Coopers to the rear support pillars hidden behind the windows to the chrome plated twin exhaust pipes, the Mini's look is unique.

Yet it's still not unique enough for many MINI owners. Because the top, side mirrors and spats have typically not been the same color as the body, there is a large degree of "mass customization" possible due to personal color preferences among the basic car colors offered.

At the other end of the spectrum are some spectacular custom paint jobs. They're seen on Mini Coopers almost as frequently as they're found on motorcycles and can include very fine to very bold detailing.

Where all this customization will go next is anyone's guess. The only thing for sure is that the Mini Cooper Sport will continue to forge new design ground as it evolves.