THERE are two types of automatic cars: the ones that are good to drive and the ones that are not.
The Mini Cooper S automatic belongs to the first group. That's surprising really, given the fact that Minis have always been considered 'drivers' cars', and 'drivers' cars' have always been associated with manual gearboxes.
Some might even say an automatic Mini is more incongruous than an automatic Ferrari.
That may have been true with the continuously-variable transmissions found in the previous generation of automatic Minis. They were a letdown.
The Cooper S now comes with a traditional six-speed autobox - a pretty intuitive one at that - made by Japan's Aisin. It matches the characteristics of the car's rev-happy 1.6-litre turbo engine perfectly.
Five minutes behind the wheel of this clutchless Mini is all that's needed to make sceptics ponder. An hour will make them fervent converts.
The six-speeder comes with steering-mounted paddles, for times you think you can pick a better slot than the machine. It also comes with a Sport button.
Touch this and the gearbox downshifts by one cog, piling 1,000rpm more onto the engine. Coupled with a more synaptic throttle response, the car takes on a frenzied disposition.
Strange how a pea-sized button can make such a difference.
But even without pushing this shiny button, the Cooper S packs more verve than an Energizer bunny.
So much so that a generous shove of the right foot will make the car feel like it wants to go sideways - a phenomenon known as torque steer, which can happen when lots of power goes suddenly to the front wheels.
That may prove a tad hairy in other cars, but is inconsequential in the Mini. The car handles like the proverbial go-kart, and its laser-like steering makes corrections a cinch.
Perhaps the only improvement that is needed is a more supportive driver's seat. With its propensity for going round corners like a boomerang, the Mini can make the skinny-bottomed slide like a hard-boiled egg in a salad bowl.
The car's paddle shifters are strategically positioned. But in my opinion, they are unnecessary. The automatic transmission never fails to match the right gear with the occasion.
Blip the throttle before a corner and it goes down a notch. Floor it and it holds its position. Even when coasting to a junction, you can hear the gearbox shifting down - one gear at a time.
Unlike its predecessors, the second-generation new Mini is a highly polished and sophisticated driving machine. In a way, an enlightened autobox makes more sense than a bare-knuckled manual shifter.
Being 0.2 seconds slower in getting to 100kmh is a small penalty.
If other automatics can be compared with seedless grapes, the auto Cooper S is a pitless cherry.
Price: $122,800 with COE Engine: 1,598cc 16-valve inline-4 turbo Transmission: Six-speed automatic with paddle shift Power: 175bhp at 5,500rpm Torque: 240Nm at 1,600-5,000rpm 0-100kmh: 7.3 seconds Top speed: 220kmh Fuel consumption: 7.6 litres/100km (city-highway) Agent: Trans Eurokars
