Mini Cooper S

Alec Issigonis - the designer - wanted to call it Special. John Cooper - the Formula One boss who supplied the engine-tuning know-how - dem-anded that it be badged Sport. The result was an uneasy compromise, and the appearance of a simple uppercase S underneath the bonnet badge.

Now, 31 years after the last Cooper S rolled out of Austin's Longbridge factory, the name is about to blast back on to the motoring scene. This time, however, the designer - American Frank Stephenson - didn't need to pick a fight with the engine team to decide what to call it. On sale in the UK from May, the S will bring the number of models in the MINI line-up to three, and will slot in above the standard Cooper with a £14,500 price tag.

In terms of appearance, the newcomer features several minor visual tweaks and interior modifications to distance it from the rest of the range. Deeper bumpers - with the rear one housing twin tailpipes - are the biggest changes, while a distinctive air scoop has been introduced to the bonnet.

Inside, the seats are new sport versions with deeper buckets and a revised folding arrangement to allow better access to the rear. An odd scoured aluminium-effect plastic trim completes the visual revamp. While the original Cooper S relied on good old-fashioned mechanical tinkering to obtain its extra power, BMW's technicians have opted for a more radical approach, in the shape of a supercharger that raises output from 115bhp to 163bhp. On the road, the MINI's uprated powerplant proves to be a quite wonderful performer.

Although the engine lacks the sudden whoosh that a turbo unit would provide, the absence of lag and the broad spread of pulling power from low revs make it a far smoother and more satisfying car to drive. It also sounds incredible. Thanks to the supercharger's twin rotors and the fitting of a special resonator in the intermediate exhaust silencer, the Cooper S delivers a distinctive mechanical whine. This noise will be music to the ears of anyone who can remember the unmistakable sound created by the original.

In keeping with the 1962 S, performance is lively rather than shattering. At no point do you need to wrestle with the steering wheel or feel the need to feather the throttle to control wheelspin. In terms of acceleration, BMW claims a 0-60mph time of 7.4 seconds - a figure that puts the car into Renaultsport Clio 172 and SEAT Ibiza Cupra R territory.

However, to judge the S on sprinting ability alone is to ignore its real strength. The powerplant really comes alive throughout the unit's mid-range, where torque is at its peak and a healthy shove of acceleration is never more than a flick of the ankle away. The inclusion of a close-ratio six-speed transmission - with top gear being fractionally taller than the standard car's fifth - further enhances the driving enjoyment. The shift has a terrifically direct action, and although reverse can be tricky to locate at first, the unit is an object lesson in how a sporting gearbox should behave.

The chassis, too, has been sharpened with the inclusion of BMW's Sport PLUS set-up as standard. Com-prising stiffer front and rear anti-roll bars as well as revised springs and dampers, the system makes the car even livelier than the regular Cooper.

Other modifications include a further sharpening of the steering rack - the result being a kart-like 2.5 turns lock to lock. And the moving of the battery from under the bonnet into the boot has improved weight distribution. Be-hind the wheel, the changes serve to make a fine car a great one. It grips hard and never feels anything other than composed and in control. The steering is more direct than ever, while the stiffer suspension restricts body roll without completely destroying the ride quality. And although there's a shortage of wheel travel - it tends to thump over bigger bumps - the sheer nimbleness of the chassis more than makes up for this bugbear.

As with the standard Cooper, S buyers will be able to choose from a bewildering array of extras and options from Union Jack roof stickers to sat-nav. However, opting for BMW's Chili pack - which includes xenon lights, air-conditioning, an uprated stereo and 17-inch alloy wheels - is arguably the most cost-effective way of making the S the complete package. Expect the Chili pack to cost around £1,500. May, and the arrival of the right-hand-drive models, can't come soon enough.