The Ride to Eternal Youth

Another week is another experience in an automotive journalist's world, with some experiences unfortunately more forgettable than others. But whenever I hear the words "MINI" and "Cooper" followed by an "S" in the same sentence, I anticipate good memories.

I had a second chance to get behind the wheel of a MINI Cooper S for a week, and it proved to be just as much fun as the first time. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press)

My second time with the Cooper S proved to be just as grand and mirth-provoking as the first (May 2003). It was yet another week of city driving, going to and from work, plus running errands; the same routine as always but at least this time carried out in sophisticated style. The S makes doing all my monotonous musts a joy, somehow transforming repetitive tasks into new adventures. It weaves in and out of traffic so easily, fits into those oh-so-small parking spots, and gets me wherever I'm going just a little bit quicker than in any other car.

With the Cooper S, even the most monotonous task becomes the perfect excuse to go for a drive. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press)

West Coast weather is forever changing, but the sun did peak out several times when the S tester was in my possession. This gave me the opportunity to open the optional glass sunroof and let the brisk mountain air flow through the intimate interior. I also powered down the windows, turned up my hip hop CD on the awesome AM/FM/CD player with 8 premium Harman/Kardon speakers and let the good times roll. If the name Harman/Kardon sounds familiar to you, it's possible you have a set by the same name if you're a Mac user. I know this because my boyfriend has a Mac complete with H/K subwoofer and speakers. The Harman/Kardon Hi Fi digital sound processing system is an additional $795, but it can make even the poorest quality CD sound good.