MINI Cooper C Classic: 'Why my love story with the MINI looks set to continue'

There is an explanatory website but I can’t be the only browser wanting straight answers rather than having to wade through the various links. What’s the cheapest? I am confused.fred.

Rather than give an easy price list, carmakers make us peruse all the models while trying to evade add-ons, the equivalent of ignoring tick boxes when booking a flight.

I searched for the cheapest on mini.co.uk. I was taken immediately to the car they want us to buy, the Aceman which is electric only and weathering buyer reluctance to EVs. I have heard praise. “Hatchback hustle meets SUV muscle” says the strap line.

I think the answer to my cheapest question is “from £24,995” for the hatchback. This brings the three-door Cooper C Classic four-seater with a 154bhp three-cylinder 1.5 litre petrol turbo engine with automatic gears but when I open up the link the price is £25,265.

The hatchback has three or five door bodies (this one has three rear seats) and is offered with petrol or electric power and as a two-door, four-seater Convertible.

There is also the Countryman, a sort of suv estate if you like, from £28,820 with a 167.6 bhp petrol engine, plus electric models, and the largest MINI so far. I love it.

Various power configurations are offered, peaking with John Cooper Works versions of all body shapes, petrol or electric. UK sales are up this year.

We were sent the five-door petrol Cooper C Classic. It is rated at 47.9mpg, 134g/km CO2 and a 0-62mph time of 7.7 seconds. Its price of £30,500 included several thousands in extras such as the icy sunshine blue paint with a black roof incorporating a full length sun panel with an opening front section.

Other add-ons included John Cooper Works sports seats, a sports steering wheel, head-up display, adaptive LED lights, backlit fabric trim on the fascia and doors and wireless phone charging. It was also fitted with oversize two-tone 18 inch wheels.

Standard stuff includes a heated steering wheel, the fabulous large central circular information screen with a wide choice of background “experience modes” which change the graphics and colours.

We like the MINI in Britain. Its 47,000 UK sales last year easily beat for example the total sales of Citroën or Seat or Honda or Dacia and were almost a third of the cars sold by its parent company BMW.

The MINI is the remnant of the Austin Rover MG Jaguar Land Rover package bought by BMW 30 years ago. At the turn of the century it replaced Mini with MINI, still front wheel drive, still looking a bit like a Mini only bigger and better because really it was a BMW not a Mini.

The major physical change was replacing the drop-down tailgate below the rear window with an integral lift-up hatchback opening.

It has fattened up and developed from the original three-door hatchback, including a five-door hatch, a two-door convertible and most recently the Countryman estate and the electrified Aceman.

EV power is offered with the rest but petrol is the prime seller — all with various ratings peaking at 296bhp in the four wheel drive John Cooper Works hatch.

In February BMW paused a major upgrade for electric MINI production at its factory near Oxford due to falling demand for electric cars.

My first car was a second hand 998cc Morris Mini Cooper in the era when Charles Cooper and his son John were known for building and driving light and efficient race winning Formula One single seaters. The Cooper name counted for something.

John Cooper was one among many who saw the potential of the Mini for racing. He transformed it into a track-ready racer. Many of those specialists were famous.

Broadspeed, Janspeed, British Vita Racing were prominent in my life — but only John Cooper forged lasting link with Mini. Contemporary collaborations saw Lotus link with Ford and later with Vauxhall. Cosworth later worked magic with the fast Fords.

Today the name COOPER is written large across the back of the latest MINI Cooper.

Possibly it means something to buyers who look up its pedigree. It is nice to see and it is good to drive this adequately powered, if luke warm hot hatch by modern standards.

If a MINI fits your life, and vice versa, give one a try. They are great fun and as practical as only hatchbacks can be. Up front the 10-inch diameter centra screen dominates. It carries all the usual information, speed and mode selections with mapping when needed in the middle.

It does require a glance to the left but if this is a problem adding the head up display screen above the steering wheel gives what you need including an image of the main screen and when navigating shows upcoming curves with a countdown in distance and colouring to match your approach speed.

This is useful on unknown roads and after dark.

The handling is sharp, no doubt helped by the low profile and wide Pirelli P7 tyres fitted. The ride is firm over bumps but floats smoothly over undulations.

After a few days the tyre hum seemed less annoying. My love affair endures. One day I may buy another — second hand of course. white over grey again.

MINI Cooper C 5-door: Price as tested £30,500; 1.5 litre petrol turbo engine; 154 bhp; Torque 169.5 lb/ft; Automatic transmission; Top speed 140mp; 0-62mph 8 seconds; 45.5 mpg (40mpg in testing); Tank c 10 gallons (44 litres); CO2 emissions 139g/km; Length 159; mini.co.uk