I’m looking at two MINI Cooper S here in France and would appreciate some opinions from people who know these cars well.

R53 Cooper S

2005
W11 supercharged
185k km
Manual
€4,000
Clutch done at 142k
Supercharger serviced
General service history
Timing chain not replaced
Slight oil sweat
Very clean underneath

R56 Cooper S

2008
N14 turbo
186k km
Manual
€4,300
Timing chain, HPFP, water pump, thermostat, head gasket/head work done around 160k
Valve cover done later
Original turbo + clutch
Slight oil consumption, she told me a cup
Gutted cat

I’m a mechanic, so DIY repairs are fine. I mainly want to avoid a (unwilling) money pit.

I finally got my EV. And it's a MINI!!

The 2012 Cooper that I have is named Fenimore Cooper.

So this one, being an EV, is named Voltimore Cooper!

Two months later, and still no name. I feel like I'm a failure as a MINI owner.

First mini and love it. Happy to be part of the club.

Another amazing day at MTTS 2026. Thank you

MINI for putting this together. The event have been. So much fun!!!

So I'm hooked so far. Only been driving it a week.

I bought this pos mini cooper as a project. I have taken the front end off to do all the typical maintenance. Fixed some rust issues that come with living in a rust belt, gave her a good bath inside and out(the previous owner apparently let their dog live in it??).

Been a car guy a long time and this is so far the funnest thing I have driven. I was driving a Mitsubishi Mirage for 11 years when it got written off. I decided it was time to get something fun. I realized I really enjoyed the small car life and when this came up I needed it. About 6 weeks of evenings and weekends(while also having other commitments) she is 'done'. Lots of odds and ends still needed, but safety is done, with a fresh alignment.

Loving the adventure so far, excited to get into it!

Saw these taillights ahead of me on the ferry line and was thrilled to meet this 1975 beauty and its delightful owner. Perfect island car!

‘09 Convertible, base

Any tips and recommendations for making this nicer than the standard?

Was turning left at the intersection this morning to grab some breakfast and didn’t realize I ran over something till I got a tire pressure warning on my way home.

Looks like road debris from city workers/work truck based on the rocks at the edge. They’ve been around recently working on asphalt paving these last few weeks. Just my luck 🫠

Just waiting to finish the mirror caps, also going red. Full PPF on roof and spoiler today. Reassembly went well. Installed a new sunroof seal, antenna and roof side mouldings. Looking very proper now