The original Mini came about because of the Suez fuel crisis in the late fifties. A frugal car was required, and BMC delivered with the Issigonis Mini. One of the more famous versions actually won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964. That was the first Mini Cooper S. The latest interpretation of the Cooper S was born in very different circumstances, and the cynics that dismiss it as "not being as clever as the original" are missing the point.

We may not be living in the most stable world in the early 2000s, but there is no obvious fuel crisis on the way, and therefore the Mini serves a different purpose to that of its diminutive ancestor. The new Mini is certainly not designed with frugality or spaciousness in mind, but that does not make it any less clever than the original. The sales figures speak for themselves, but what makes the new Mini so appealing? The new Mini is pure marketing genius, that's what! The Mini is aimed at aspiring individuals with a sense of personal style (male and female). Amazingly, the substantial number of Minis on the road has not diluted the sense of individuality. This is down to a vast array of colour and specification options, never mind the basic three-model range (soon to be five with the arrival of the One D and the long-awaited Cabrio).

Fittingly, the range-topper has inherited the Cooper S tag, though the S could be taken to stand for "supercharged", as that's where the extra oomph comes from. That's right, BMW have bolted a supercharger onto the characterful engine to extract enough power for the Cooper S to be taken seriously in the important hot hatch market segment. The standard Cooper S (as tested here) puts out 163 bhp and 155 lb.ft of torque, which is adequate, though not quite up there with the Honda Civic Type R. There are now plenty of options to upgrade your Cooper S though, increasing output as high as 270 bhp.

Not that I was disappointed with the performance of the standard Cooper S we tested. Acceleration is brisk, and this is backed up by good mid-range torque thanks to the charger. The noise accompanying forward progress is great too, sounding even more like the original Mini gearbox whine (that is a good thing in my opinion). The supercharged engine really suits the sharp chassis of the Mini too. Indeed, further suspension tweaks are carried out on the Cooper S, which stiffens things up a little more than in the Cooper and One models. Personally, I think the car would be better off with 16-inch wheels rather than the super-stylish 17-inch items fitted to the test car. The ride suffers with the larger wheel fitted. The low profile tyres do offer large reserves of grip though, and the car is a complete hoot to throw down a twisty road. The front-end bites hard and aims at the apex as if laser guided, while the rear of the car follows suit until you want to have some fun. Lift off oversteer is good, but even better is left-foot braking, allowing ridiculous cornering speeds. My only reservations about the Mini, from the point of view of an enthusiastic driver, are the pedal spacings (heel and toe is difficult) and the ease at which the brakes begin to fade after a little extreme cornering.

Pedals aside, there is not much else wrong with the interior. Ok, the rear seats are not going to fit a small family and their dog, but think of the new Mini as a coupe rather than a practical hatch and it makes more sense. Though the interior is seriously funky and leans on the original Mini for inspiration, it works so well that I don't think it is actually aging at all. The Cooper S pictured here was fitted with the (reasonably priced) Chili Pack, which gives you all the following extras for only £1,370:

- Front fog lights
- Height adjustable passenger seat
- Interior light pack
- Air conditioning
- Those 17" alloys
- Sports seats with cloth/leather
- Storage compartment pack
- Velour floor mats
- Xenon headlights with washer system

The air conditioning, seats and lights are worth a lot more than that price alone. The alloys look fantastic, and even the velour floor mats add to the interior ambience. The seats are lovely too. Extras fitted to the BMW press car included satellite navigation, which only costs £141, but unfortunately takes the place of the large centrally located speedometer. This is moved to the steering column. Pity. Still, there are hundreds of other fine details to keep you occupied, such as the silver metal-look plastic trim and the '60s style square-cut side windows (though neatly updated by deleting window frames for the 2000s).

Without a test drive, many people will dismiss the new Mini as a cynical marketing exercise by BMW, and the Cooper S as a very expensive small hatchback. Why then have sales shot through the roof? Sure, the Mini brand is being marketed well, but clever advertising will only go so far. The simple truth is that the Mini is a cracking drive. The Cooper S takes that element of fun and 'chuckability' and adds a lot more power and ability. In summary, the most desirable of the range to date.