The Mini Cooper is a small, sporty car that is essentially a remake of the infamous Mini from the late 50's and early 60's. Although slightly larger than the original Mini, the Cooper is still quite small. At under 12 feet, it's one of the smallest cars on American roads.
There are two versions; the 'regular' Mini Cooper, and the Mini Cooper S, which features a supercharger, which has 163 hp versus 115 hp for the non-supercharged version.
The Mini Cooper is an attitude-driven car that's fun to drive. Since it's not the most practical car, most people have this car for its driving experience. Its quick and firm handling make it the ideal car for curvy roads (it's been described as a go-kart).
The base price is $16,000, and you can't get it much lower because of the great demand (many dealers are charging over MSRP). But throw in an extra $3,500 for the supercharger, and add options like a huge sunroof, an 8-speaker stereo, and a navigation system, and you could be spending close to $30,000.