The Mini Cooper S Touring and Mini Cooper S Sport 5 by John Cooper Garages

In 1997, John Cooper Garages unveiled two new exciting iterations of the iconic Mini Cooper S; the Cooper S Touring and the Cooper S Sport 5. Both were designed to offer a thrilling driving experience, featuring advancements such as multi-point fuel injection and other developments from the latest Mk7 Rover Mini. The key John Cooper performance upgrades included:

•  High-compression S-stage cylinder head with enlarged valves
• 1:5:1 ratio roller-tip rockers
• High performance exhaust with 3-branch manifold
• Modified fuel pressure regulator 
• K&N air filter

The Cooper S Sport 5 was particularly impressive, equipped with a Jack Knight 5-speed close-ratio helical gearbox that maximised the enhanced performance of the modified engine. For the very first time you could purchase a classic Mini with a 5-speed gearbox as standard. Meanwhile, the S Touring retained the original 4-speed gearbox, possessing a taller 2:7 final drive for a more relaxed cruising experience - hence the name "Touring".

Both models delivered impressive performance, boasting outputs of 85 bhp - an approximate 30% increase over the standard Rover Mini Cooper MPI - and torque figures exceeding 20% more than the standard model. This translated to enhanced acceleration, with 0-60 mph times of 9.95 seconds for the S Touring model and 9.65 seconds for the Sport 5.

Visually, these Minis were enhanced with distinctive John Cooper details such as ‘Si’ boot badging, custom side decals and stainless steel door step edgings with ‘John Cooper’ script. The interiors featured luxurious burr walnut door cappings and alloy door furniture for a premium touch. Each Mini also came with a special John Cooper Garages conversion plate engraved with the car’s unique number.

With exceptional specification came a premium price tag. In the spring of 1997, the ‘On the Road Price’ for the Mini Cooper S Touring was £10,995, while the Mini Cooper S Sport 5 was priced at £12,995. For context, a standard Rover Mini Cooper was priced at £8,995, already standing apart from other superminis and hatchbacks that were more technologically advanced. The S Touring offered an upgrade with the Sports pack for an additional £700 and the 5-speed gearbox option costing £1,700, both of which were standard on the Sport 5. A vast array of optional extras was also available, including leather seats (£500), an electric sunroof (£795), rear screen wash/wipe (£365) and air conditioning (£1,765) to name but a few.

Both models remained in production until 1999 and were exclusively available for purchase through John Cooper Garages. While official production numbers remain unknown, it is estimated that around 100 Mini Cooper S Touring models were made, with possibly only 30 units of the Mini Cooper S Sport 5, making it one of the rarest editions of the classic Mini. Additionally, John Cooper Garages built a special one-off Mini Cooper S Touring in collaboration with MiniWorld Magazine, which we sold in 2023.

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