The MINI Cooper S has been singled out for praise by What Car? and taken the Green Sports Car award in the What Car? Green Awards ceremony at the 2008 British International Motor Show, where the MINI range is currently showing on a MINIVERSITY-themed stand.

The award is recognition of MINI’s commitment to manufacturing frugal and fast premium small cars, with minimal cost to the environment. The MINI Cooper S embodies all of those qualities and when pitched against the competition, it’s easy to see how What Car? made its decision. The super wee Mini boasts a combined fuel economy figure of 45.6mpg and CO2 emissions of 149g/km. To put that into perspective, consider its rivals, VW Golf GTI (35.3mpg &189g/km) and the Renault Clio Sport (33.6mpg & 199g/km).

The systems which make such astonishing figures possible from a hothatch are known as MINIMALISM technologies. MINIMALISM is MINI’s version of BMW’s EfficientDynamics and the range of systems includes: Auto Start/Stop, Shift Point Display, Brake Energy Regeneration, Variable Valve Timing, Lightweight materials, Turbocharging and Electro mechanical Power Assisted Steering

“The MINI Cooper S proves that fun doesn’t have to go out of the window if you want to be green,” Steve Fowler, editor of What Car? said. “We love the way the clever MINIMALISM technology works to cut damaging emissions without damaging driver enjoyment.”

In the same awards, Honda’s British-built CR-V picked up the award for the greenest 4x4, proving that not all 4x4s are gas-guzzling monsters. The CR-V emits just 171g/km – less than many mainstream hatchbacks.