Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2015 / January 2016 | Page 63

MOTORING
Snows Mini

BMW MINI One
G

ood news for MINI fans –and there
are plenty of them out there BMW have at long last spruced up
the classic MINI One. The newly-designed
three-cylinder petrol engine has been
developed and engineered solely by BMW
for the first time.
For starters, the entry-level MINI One
gets a 102bhp, 1.2-litre three-cylinder
turbo. This new turbocharged petrol
engine makes the drive a lot more punchy,
almost to the degree where you’d be hard
pushed to tell the difference between the
MINI One and the popular Cooper model.
This was one of the main criticisms of the
older model, that it wasn’t gutsy enough
for such a great handling car.
The new engine also improves
emissions, and it’s only 33bhp less
than the Cooper. Start the engine
up and you‘ll be immediately
impressed. The engine gives off a
pleasing little growl all the way to
the red line.
It’s far more pleasant to drive than
the previous model, and takes you
from 0-60 in an acceptable 10.1
seconds. Visits to the petrol station

will be less frequent too, as the MINI One
achieves an amazing 58.9mpg. You’ll love
the direct steering: going round corners
is a breeze, as it always has been, even
from the early days. One option I would
recommend, though, is the larger wheels
and tyres.
Inside the MINI One you’ll enjoy
the new style interior giving a more
premium feel to th RV