Every time I take my car in for service, the guys from AutoPalace lend me some interesting little car. Last time we looked at BMW i7 review or we went for a drive BMW-XM. This time we will focus on a slightly different toy, which my wife is thinking about more and more and that is why I wanted to try it not only for me, but also for her. This is the Mini Cooper C John Cooper Works model introduced this year, with which the entire Mini range entered a new generation known as the F66. So this is the latest that Mini can offer you. The car is also available as an all-electric model, which I'm not saying we wouldn't consider, but for testing we were loaned the Mini in the above variant with 159 horsepower, which is more than enough for my lady. The most interesting thing from the LsA point of view is, of course, the completely new infotainment, which we will cover in the following lines.
Mini has decided that in the current generation of its Mini Cooper and other models it will completely omit the chapel with instruments in front of the driver and will replace it with a head-up display and a central huge round display. To be honest, I personally don't mind it at all and in all my cars in recent years I basically only look at the head-up and if I use the navigation or want to change something in the settings, I glance at the center display. I basically don't use the instrument panel, even though I have a digital cockpit in all cars except the M4. However, I recognize that it may take some getting used to for some, but I believe you will get used to it. The only pity is that the Mini does not offer the classic head-up like its more expensive brothers from BMW, which is projected directly onto the windshield, but offers that strange and not my favorite alternative, where a plexiglass is extended in front of the windshield, on which the head-up projects. I would like to pay extra for projection directly onto the windshield, but unfortunately that is not possible.
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As for the central display, it is brilliant, without any exaggeration. Basically, everything you see on it is interactive in the most intuitive way imaginable. Can you see the temperature in the lower corners? Just touch it and you can immediately set the temperature in the driver's seat, including heating the seat or the steering wheel. You click on the temperature in the lower right corner and immediately set the temperature for the passenger. You click on the lights icon and adjust the lights and so on. In short, everything is functional, intuitive and, above all, everything is huge! The display can only be controlled by touch, there is no iDrive button, and you will appreciate the huge elements all the more, which cannot be easily missed even when driving fast, although I do not recommend playing with the display.
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What I really like is the possibility to set up several visuals in advance or to use the pre-prepared ones and simply switch between them immediately with a single press of a button. Yes, any car can do that, but here the change is completely radical and everything will change, including the head-up display, so that you won't even recognize your Mini. For example, you can put a family photo on the background of the display and have a speedometer around it, you can go back in time and have a retro car and so on. In short, when that lady in a suit, pumps and a hat sits down, she somehow goes retro and will match her car perfectly, just like when you rush to get fresh rolls and accidentally take it to the nearest bakery over the Grossglockner.
The change in appearance is so radical and the way the display is huge and dominant in the entire interior literally changes the perception of the whole car and I really like that. Huge control elements are both on the display itself at the home screen and also within all menus and settings. So you can easily and conveniently control everything at any time. The display has perfect colors and excellent resolution, which really beats iPads for example. In addition to classic functions such as setting up the car, connecting CarPlay or Android Auto, starting playback, climate control, heating and many other things, there are also two very funny gadgets. One is the game console, where you scan a QR code through your phone's camera and you can then control the installed games with your phone. The second one is even better and you have to connect your car to Spotify. Once you've done that, you can start scratching in any song, which the oval display really encourages.
What's cool is that even though the mini definitely doesn't belong to any luxury segment, there is navigation with an integrated AR function. At the moment when you are approaching a point where it is necessary to turn or something similar, the view from the car's front camera appears on the display and a virtual arrow appears on the road, which also changes in size with the approach of the turn. The navigation thus guides you in a style where very few people get lost. Until recently, this gadget only belonged to the premium segment.
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On the other hand, what is a shame and Mini is not responsible for this is that CarPlay is only displayed as a square in the middle of the display and does not manage to fill the entire display in any interesting way. Although you can see the wallpaper from CarPlay over the entire screen, the CarPlay interface itself is only in the middle in a relatively small part, and even applications for which this would not be a problem cannot fill the screen, i.e. Google or Apple Maps.
A few more observations about the Mini Cooper C John Cooper Works
At least briefly, I would also like to comment on the car itself, despite the fact that I myself recommend that if you are interested in its review, you should look at completely different car experts than myself, such as Rasťo Chvála or many others. The new mini is still to some extent a go-kart as we used to know it, and it's exactly the kind of car that a young lady can drive to buy flowers at the market with a hat or a scarf on her head, and at the same time you can borrow it from her, switch to go-kart mode, which automatically turns off stabilization and traction and enjoy loads of fun. Mini is more mature compared to the previous generation in terms of interior design and elegance. We don't even need to talk about how infotainment has matured, in short, it is in a completely different league not only from the previous generation, but with a few exceptions such as Tesla and across the automotive industry.
However, he is still the same ill-mannered "brat" as before when you want to have fun with him. Sometimes, I would say too much, and even when you have all the systems on and press the Boost button and put the gas pedal to the floor, it feels like the chassis is not as stable as you might expect. You don't have to worry about losing control of the car, but an inexperienced driver may already have a certain fear of what's happening under his ass. The chassis is quite hard and I believe a lot of ladies would definitely appreciate a bit more comfort. However, this would not go hand in hand with the fun that those who love mountain passes want to enjoy with the Mini. In short, I felt that the previous generation mini sat better on the ground than the current one, which is wilder than before. Despite only having 159 hp in the base model with an internal combustion engine, it drives like crazy and feels much faster than it looks on paper when reading the parameters.
From the point of view of a car for a woman, I'm also a little bothered by the trunk support, which cannot be electric even for an extra charge, and at the same time is so stiff that a small lady in pumps will find it difficult to close the trunk with one hand. What I like, on the other hand, is the possibility of adjusting the seats, which will allow a 202-centimeter, one-hundred-kilogram man to drive the car as comfortably as a 160-centimeter, fifty-kilogram woman. In short, everyone can find an ideal seat, and the view from the car is traditionally absolutely brilliant with a mini. In the same way, the ingenious possibility of turning the car around practically anywhere and at any time remains, despite the fact that it does not have rear axle rotation.
Thanks for the nice article.
Thanks for the nice article and insights. I immediately read the other practical autoreviews ;)
Thanks for the nice summary of the experience.
I have MC JC on my list and I will solve another toy... maybe this classic will be produced continuously until then...
The Mini is a great little car, and even if the Countryman is no longer the playful teenager, it's still great. And I'm glad that Mini has not succumbed to the green craze and makes normal engines and even the new Countryman has a rather interesting diesel.
Thank you very much everyone, I appreciate it :)
I think that it is not a bad idea to start doing a review here and there on cars with the fact that 80 percent will be on infotainment and connectivity. After all, it's time for cars to move forward with this.
Thanks for the nice article!
More of the kind that make you laugh with joy.
I have a Mini JCW on my list as soon as one of the builders goes into the world, so I think it will be this sexy motorbike... actually I can't think of any other small ones that would make sense to me... maybe it has a comfortable back seat, because otherwise my wife wouldn't approve of it, because the dog would have a good time there...