MINI Cooper S R53 Checkmate

The MINI Cooper, and the Cooper S in particular, is well known for its fun-to-drive nature. The cars are also available with a long list of factory options, and MINI does a nice job of offering special edition cars that have a full list of options you can get in a single package. The Checkmate edition is one such model, and it came with a whole slew of aesthetic upgrades.

Although the MINI Cooper S delivers a great combination of sensibility and performance, this 2006 (R53) Checkmate edition didn't come with any extra performance-enhancing parts from the factory. Our friends with Die Zugspitze, the official club magazine from the BMW CCA New York Chapter, decided to fix that with some great upgrades to their MINI's brakes, powertrain, and suspension—including a full Powerflex Handling Pack upgrade.