Since we're inside, it's probably also worth talking about a few

Gotta love that stitched, two-toned, leather-wrapped fat steering wheel. Big Gulp-sized cupholder optional.  (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

new additions for '06. With the Cooper S, you can now enjoy automatic headlamps which switch on by themselves according to exterior ambient light, heated windshield washer jets, automatic windshield wipers that sweep upon the first drops of rain, and a windshield wiper fluid warning light mounted on the windshield wiper stalk, that illuminates when you run out of fluid. Also new is the availability of roof decals for cars with the panoramic sunroof, and a passenger seat airbag warning lamp positioned overhead on the headliner for all to see. One thing they haven't put back from the last update in '05 is the clock. It's either that, or I'm blind.

Mind you, all of this stuff becomes unimportant when rubber meets road, because at the core of the Checkmate there's a Cooper S, the definitive icon of modern day performance hatchbacks. It might not be as quick as the Dodge SRT-4, Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged or its European brethren, the VW R32, Focus ST220 or Opel Astra OPC (to name a few), but by no means is it slow. Last year's upgrades mean 168-horsepower is extracted from the supercharged 1.6-litre engine, and mated through a six-speed manual (or now-available six-speed automatic). Romp on the throttle and it eagerly zings to its 7,000 rpm redline, leaving a wake of supercharger whine behind.

It's

Wheels and checkered decals in wide angle view. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

easy to be elated with the Cooper S in straight lines, but it's even better in the corners. The Cooper S' wide stance, grippy tires, and roll-free suspension setup mean that you can dive on the brakes late in the corner, mark your line and power through, evoking a little bit of tail wag on the way out. It's just so easy, so simple, and so much fun. And even though the controls are artificially linked - electric throttle, electric steering - they feel meaty and perfectly geared, allowing you to Hoover down your favourite back roads all day long like a rally car driver. You would be hard-pressed to find a car faster through an open country turnpike than a Cooper S. 

Cross that thought - only, perhaps, a Cooper S with the Works package bolted on, or a Cooper S equipped with the optional $650 limited slip differential could be faster. The LSD, an option which appeared back in '05, is considerably helpful in putting down all that power and torque to the front wheels, and works wonders once temperatures dip below the freezing mark and fluffy white powder lines the roads, provided sports winter tires are equipped. Prepped in this manner, the Cooper S, with DSC dynamic stability control and ABS with cornering brake control, is good to go in conditions where other sports compacts would fear to tread. 

The Cooper S also makes a fantastic city car. It feels tight-knit, immediately putting you at one with it in the driver's seat. From stoplight

It may not be the most refined engine, but the 1.6L Supercharged provides one heckuva punch. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

to stoplight, slipping through traffic, and even when parking. Its attitude is always all-fun, all of the time. It can be a bit wearing though, particularly in times when you just want to sit back, cruise and listen to the radio; it's not as great going cross-country, where its buzzy exhaust, wind noise, and rock-hard ride take their toll on your bottom. The fuel consumption isn't that great either; in the 2,300 kilometers that rolled under its wheels during the week we had it (much of it on the highway) it managed to only return 9.9 L/100 km (24 mpg). Such numbers are to be expected, however, as it's not exactly the most aerodynamic vehicle, and because the gearing's a bit on the short side to allow for all of its zip; the supercharger's also constantly force-feeding the engine whether you like it or not.