The seats are handsome to look at. When it comes to sitting you might feel as if you are sort of perching on the standard seats. The sport seats are more receptive. If you prefer seats that you sit in rather than on, opt for the sports seats. Be your own judge; seats are personal.

To allow rear passengers into the back of the two-door car, the front seats slide and lift out of the way with a memory that returns them to position. That makes loading to capacity quick and easy.

Any notion that a car celebrating a popular icon of old has to be retro is dispelled forever by the with-it modernity of the Mini's interior. Materials and shapes are as cheery as sunshine and balloons and as now as a new magazine. The prominent circles are as much a design statement as a function, including the tach perched like an add-on immediately before the driver's eyes. Toggle switches reflect the older Mini while looking very today and feeling quite driverly. That large circle in the center of the dash, equally visible to anyone in the car, is the speedometer. The positioning was borrowed from the Mini of old and might seem a tad precious to those who don't smile in recollection.

However the press-briefing explanation that the speedometer is in the center to celebrate the rally tradition of the Mini (so that the co-driver can see it clearly) is balderdash. It was there because that central position made it cheaper to build cars with either right-hand or left-hand drive. The first 850cc Mini with its 10-inch wheelbarrow wheels was a response to a mid-east war and resulting oil crisis (sound familiar?), not anything else. The car's sporting future was not anticipated until John Cooper took a fancy to the tidy little machine, lent his magic and sent the Mini hurtling into history

Driving Impressions

I found that driving the Mini for several days (including some time on a race course) was not long enough to find the limits of its cornering ability. It kept saying "more." I drove in deeper; I drove harder. The Mini simply went where it was pointed without protest. What is this? Are they paving these writhing Marin County roads in Velcro? Even when rain was sheeting down and the pavement shimmered in rivulets, the Mini felt bonded to the surface. Ah, a squeegee at no extra charge. The old Mini was as much fun as a carnival ride to drive, but much of the fun came from constant flirting with catastrophe (one wheel always lifted off the surface in hard turns). The fun in this Mini, with a body that feels as rigid as a block of maple, is in exploring its astonishing capabilities.

As one might expect from a car associated with BMW, the Mini Cooper's steering is precise and immediate, though not as light as you might expect in a small car.

The brakes (discs all around) are equally impressive, proportionally balanced as they are. Hit them hard at speed and the car feels sucked to the earth and slowed immediately by an invisible hand. None of that tiptoe-light feeling you sometimes get under serious braking. Excellent brakes can mean survival in Germany where running at ultra-high speeds on the Autobahn is interspersed with serious slowing.

The Mini suspension system (McPherson struts in front and multi-link rear) is designed to keep the car snug to the road. This means passengers feel broken surfaces, expansion joints, weathered pavement. The Mini's ride is not a velvety one, but it is a secure one. Somehow even on the roughest road, one that sets passengers popping like corn in a hot skillet, the Mini holds its direction like a gyroscope. Drivers like that. And make no mistake: the Mini is a driver's car.

The Mini Cooper's 1.6-liter four-cylinder overhead cam engine (115 horsepower) never feels deficient even if it doesn't put your head against the backrest at launch Hit the loud pedal, count to one-thousand-nine and the needle in that central circle should be passing 60. (0-62 mph comes in 9.2 seconds and top speed is 124 mph.) Fair action for a Toastmaster.

The gearing favors a quick take off (the way Americans like it). However, the Mini Cooper's five-speed gearbox leaves a longer stretch between second and third gear than expected. I found it a tad annoying, rather like a flight of stairs with one riser a little higher than all the others. Drivers should make appropriate use of the gearbox to keep themselves well positioned on the 115-hp Mini Cooper's torque curve. That's easy. It feels good and shifting is smooth.

The 1.6-liter engine in the Mini Cooper S produces 163 horsepower and 155 pounds-feet of torque at 4000 rpm. It's capable of accelerating from 0-62 mph in just 7.4 seconds. (Top speed is 135 mph.) Equipped with a six-speed manual, it did not have the tall second gear feel of the Mini Cooper.

In town, the Mini is well-dressed, well-mannered, smooth to shift, easy to park and can swallow an amazing amount of Nordstrom detritus, particularly if you are alone. But the car will rarely be without company. It draws a beaming crowd wherever it is. (Some in the pack will offer you money on the spot for ownership.)