If i got $10 for every Cooper S I have beaten then I'd have $50!! Off the line they have a slight advantage but once your in lift it each gear change you pull away. As for on the move I know which car is waaaaay quicker from 120 -200
I have driven a works edition and it was very nice to drive but at 60 odd k it would want to be. I remember doing a night run once with some cars from another forum and one was a works edition and he thought his poo didn't stink. Well a sportivo with cusco's(Northy) and myself(koni's,kings, whiteline bars) showed him up quite nicely. i was in fron and Northy was behind and he crossed the centre line and got all out of shape on a few occasions. He told a mate that we were too slow and this and that then we told him that weren't pushing it hard due to a very dirty road covered in leaves and sticks etc.
Anyway my point is that a Works edition is a fast car and it takes a nicely modded Sportivo to keep with one. As for a Cooper S an average modded Sportivo will do one and a stock sportivo with a good driver could and may beat one as well.
A good driver in a Mini may do the same but most of them are either rich girlys trying to attract attention, hairdressers from the top end of town or guys in nerdy professions trying to look sporty. Most of these people can't drive fast or have never been to a race track and proly never will.