Back then…

It wasn’t simply that the R56 Mini Cooper S Hatch, which hit the road in 2007, was a couple of inches longer than the R53 that came before it. No, there was something else about the new model, too. It looked more swollen somehow, as though it had a spent a very long winter over indulging on pie and cake.

Whereas the earlier version had proportions that were effortlessly ‘right’, the model that replaced it was more bulbous overall, with cartoonishly exaggerated details. Its rear lights, for instance, were far less delicate than the R53’s. It’s very easy these days to forget how less well-resolved the R56 looked when it was new, and for one very good reason: when in 2013 it was replaced by the version we’re familiar with now (the F56), the Mini shape didn’t merely swell by the same amount again – it went into full anaphylactic shock.

Compared to the current Mini, which seems to have inflated itself to ward off prey like a pufferfish, both earlier models look as dainty as one another. Back in 2007, though, we all thought Mini’s design department had lost its magic touch. In fact, the R56 grew the way it did at least in part due to new crash legislation, which meant the R53’s slimline proportions were lost for good.

Perhaps that’s why some reviewers at the time reckoned the R56 had gone soft. It wasn’t as fun to drive as the earlier model, they said, nor as characterful. But it certainly wasn’t heavier. In fact, the R56 was lighter by a few kilograms, despite its expanded waistline. Electric rather than hydraulic power assistance did dull the newer car’s steering somewhat, but the R56 still had the kind of quick and pointy rack that was the perfect accompaniment for its agile, endlessly adjustable chassis.

Turbo rather than supercharging was perhaps the most tangible revision from one generation to the next. Gone was the R53’s linear and progressive engine with its distinctive, whining soundtrack, lost to a new motor with punchy turbocharged torque and a strong mid-range, but also a more muted tone. In terms of straight-line performance, however, the newer model felt in a different league, even if the official figures of 175hp and 177lb ft (or 192lb ft on overboost) were not so different on paper.

Nowadays…

There’s something about the R56 – the view through the narrow but very upright windscreen, the shallow dashboard that means your nose is almost pressed up to the glass, the way your right foot addresses the BMW-style floor-hinged throttle pedal… It’s a delight simply to sit in. And when you start moving, you inevitably find yourself ducking and weaving through traffic with the agility of a dolphin darting around a pod of humpback whales, nipping into gaps and zipping around roundabouts. Even in town, the Cooper S is a huge amount of fun to drive.

On more open roads, you begin to appreciate exactly how brisk it feels in a straight line, and also how sweetly balanced the chassis is. You can lean hard and confidently on the front end, knowing that a quick lift will bring the rear into play. With every corner that flicks left or right beneath the wheels, you realise more and more that the chassis has been set up by people who understand what it is that makes a hot hatch fun to drive, rather than just quick around a lap or along a road.

But that’s a fit and healthy R56. An early car, now 13 years old, will be in need of a refresh if it’s to feel its best again. Replacement dampers and bushes will do the trick – reckon on £700 or so. A Cooper S won’t beat you up in terms of ride comfort, but nor will it soothe away the stresses and strains of a long day in the office. If you’re looking for a calm, settled and relaxing ride, you won’t find it here.

The current Mini Cooper S is a reasonably playful and rewarding thing to drive, but it’s much bigger and heavier than the R56, feeling altogether more grown-up. The older car is a nimbler and more entertaining machine, whether you’re hammering it along a winding B-road or dive-bombing juggernauts on roundabouts.

However, the R56 isn’t without its weaknesses. Irritating rattles can emanate from dashboards, manual gear levers can lose their precision (thanks to worn linkages; a simple fix) and engines can consume oil at a rate of a litre every 1,000 miles. None of which should concern you anything like as much as the fragile timing chain tensioner. This will create a brushing or rattling sound as it begins to fail, and if left unaddressed will ultimately lead to terminal engine failure.

Keeping the oil topped up will help, but the design of the tensioner simply wasn’t adequate. Mini redesigned it from 2011 onwards, but if you’re considering an earlier car you’ll want to know the upgraded part has been fitted. Post-2011 cars were fitted with the improved and fractionally more powerful N18 engine, and this is the version you should seek out should your budget allow (look for the large plastic engine cover). The earlier, frailer engine was the N14 (which didn’t have the engine cover).

Should you?

If you want a fun little hot hatch with strong performance and a great cabin, you won’t do much better for the money. You will have to do your homework (this PH Buying Guide would be a good start) to mitigate the risk of buying a car with an engine that’s about to disintegrate. However, there are so many Cooper Ss to choose from (50 in the PH classifieds at the time of writing) that you can be picky. Choose a post-2011 car if you can, or insist on the timing chain tensioner having been upgraded if not.

R56s start at a little over £2,000, for which you’ll be looking at a 2007 car with around 100,000 miles on the clock. Don’t expect a Cooper S like that to feel as fit as the day it left the factory, although if you’re after a station car or a trackday project, you needn’t spend more.

Stretch to £4,000 and you’ll pick up a 2009 car with only 60,000 miles, although if you want a post-2011 facelift model you’ll have to spend closer to £6,000. Top money is £10,000, which buys a very low mileage and highly specified car from a main dealer.

SPECIFICATION - MINI COOPER S (R56)
Engine: 1,598cc, four-cyl turbo
Transmission: 6-speed manual or auto, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 175/184@5,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 192@1,600-5,000rpm
0-62mph: 7.1 secs
Top speed: 140mph
Weight: 1,215kg
MPG: 40.9 combined
CO2: 136g/km
Price new: £15,995
Price now: from £2,200