Mini Cooper

For those who want their Mini adventures to be slightly less frenetic, the Cooper S can now be ordered with a six-speed Steptronic automatic transmission. I know, surely that's not the point... but without spying the new steering wheel mounted paddles, I wouldn't have been nearly so eager. Sitting at three and nine o' clock the little cog-ordering switches give back a little of the fun that the auto takes away. OK, so it's not like a manual, but they are nicely positioned, if not just a little Fisher Price. Not exactly proper F1-style either, because both operate the same way rather than the left and right for up and down in a Ferrari. In the Mini you pull to go up, and push to go down.

Luckily, the autobox response is pretty crisp and has almost the same punch as the manual, but at almost all engine speeds the noise of the supercharger is intrusive - there's a persistent whine not helped by the addition of the torque converter. The gearbox itself is brilliant, it's just that the noises the engine makes don't seem to suit the way it works too well.

The interior is as per any other Mini, except that the gearshift knob is specific - a black knob with a silver button up front and a bright red 'S' emblazoned on the front. Do we like it? Yes. As long as your journeys happen to be based in town.

Kelda Warden