MINI Cooper S R53

About This Competition

A lot has happened over the last few weeks… we’ve relocated, had an absolute disaster, and somehow found ourselves fighting what can only be described as a full-scale war against an army of angry hornets. Turns out they weren’t too keen on sharing our new unit. Between moving everything we own and trying not to get stung every five minutes, it’s fair to say launching new competitions has taken a bit of a back seat… but we’re finally back!

To ease ourselves back into it, we’re taking a bit of a gamble with a short-run competition on this MINI R53 Cooper S. These pop up on EP-COMPS fairly regularly, and that’s simply because we absolutely love them. They’re small, packed with character, have retro styling that has aged brilliantly, weigh next to nothing by modern standards and, best of all, they make one of the greatest noises known to mankind thanks to that glorious supercharger. It was a very strange engineering choice back in the day, but we’re massive supercharger enthusiasts here, so another whining machine arriving on site is never a bad thing!

Under the bonnet you’ve got 170bhp being sent through the front wheels via a proper six-speed manual gearbox, all wrapped up in a car weighing around 1,150kg. The result is one of those hot hatches that just begs to be driven on your favourite back road. They feel alive, they’re eager to change direction, and they put a smile on your face without needing silly power figures.

This particular example looks fantastic finished in Gunmetal Grey with a contrasting black roof, and it’s even got the panoramic roof to finish the look off. It’s a really smart specification and a car that’s perfectly happy being used every single day, returning close to 40mpg when driven sensibly… although let’s be honest, buying a supercharged MINI and driving it sensibly isn’t always the easiest thing in the world! If that’s not your plan, it’s also the perfect starting point for a weekend toy or track car, with only an exhaust and intake fitted so far, leaving plenty of room to make it your own.

So, if you fancy getting your hands on one of the most iconic hot hatches of the 2000s at some legendary EP-COMPS odds, then you know exactly what to do!