Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2010/January 2011 | Page 97

country life

Island Life - December 2010

The new

MINI
Countryman
Cooper D

It’s a MINI but not as we know it. BMW
has taken our national treasure to its
logical conclusion – and turned on its
head the idea that Minis are small and
diesels are slow and chuggy. Unlike
its upstart rivals the MINI Countryman
Cooper D doesn’t come with strings of
neons or muscle-bound wheel-arches.
It is itself, take it or leave it. And you’ll
want to take it.
It’s a car that comes with built-in
familiarity: everyone knows and loves
the MINI. So the fact it ain’t so mini
dawns slowly as you stand and admire.
There is a lot to take in. The
car exudes a confidence born of
generations of masterful design: its
generous bonnet, housing a lively 1.6L
engine, leads your eye to the circular
tubular headlights, a classy innovation
on the previous model.
Just opening the door to reveal the
vibrant blue lining and curvy swoop
of the door pocket causes woops of
admiration. For it is the thoughtful
little touches that make this car so truly
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TEST DRIVEN
ON THE ISLAND
By Roz Whistance

desirable. Spark the ignition and the
MINI’s iconic winged logo appears. Th P