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MINI Roadster

We get behind the wheel of the new MINI Roadster in Cooper S guise - can it rival the big-selling Mazda MX-5?

MINI Roadster Cooper S front cornering

By Jack Rix

January 2012

  • Rating:
The MINI Roadster is much more than a soft-top version of the Coupe. It’s the first open-topped MINI two-seater ever and the first genuine affordable roadster rival to the MX-5. Prices start from £25 more than the cheapest Mazda, at £18,015.

To succeed in the roadster market, and make the sums add up, you need big sales. Mazda has managed this, but nobody else has yet. MINI may have found a way in through the back door, with the hatchback, Convertible, Coupe and now the Roadster all essentially re-clothed versions of the same car.

Video: watch our video review of the MINI Roadster

 

There’s no mistaking the Roadster for anything other than a MINI. Its large round headlights, chrome-rimmed grille and crease-free bodywork are largely shared with its sister cars.

Yet above the waistline it gets a flat rear deck and a windscreen raked 13 degrees steeper than the Convertible’s. The sloped glass gives the car a sportier profile and helps reduce drag. A pop-up rear spoiler, which deploys automatically above 50mph, does the opposite.

Reach above your head, unclip the roof and it does the rest itself, folding automatically into a cubby behind you in only 10 seconds to reveal a pair of polished stainless steel roll hoops. As with the new Porsche Boxster, there’s no need for a tonneau cover as the outer skin of the hood faces up – and this saves time and weight.

The set-up doesn’t encroach on boot capacity: 240 litres is excellent for a roadster. There’s also a ski hatch for long objects.

As with the Coupe, the Roadster will be sold only in Cooper guise. There’s a single diesel – the 141bhp Cooper SD, returning 62.8mpg – alongside the 120bhp Cooper, 181bhp Cooper S and top-spec 208bhp John Cooper Works petrol cars.

We drove the Cooper S, which hits a sweet spot between performance and price. Starting from £20,900, it undercuts the entry-level Audi TT 1.8 TFSI by £4,580. Yet it offers 24bhp more power and sprints from 0-60mph half a second faster, in seven seconds.

It’s a peach of an engine, too, revving sweetly and smoothly, and with the turbo on boost it delivers a real shove in the back. Of course it doesn’t have the kick of the JCW, but we’d recommend you save your money and stick with the Cooper S, as it delivers more than enough performance.

The best thing about this engine, though, is the sound it makes. Push the Sport button and the rasping note hardens as the revs rise, followed by a flurry of pops and bangs when you lift off the throttle.

Additional bracing means the scuttle shake noticeable on the Convertible has been virtually eliminated, and there’s never a sense of the chassis flexing beneath you. A sports suspension pack can be specified, adding thicker anti-roll bars and stiffer springs and dampers, although why anyone would need it is beyond us.

The Cooper S has a firm ride, but it falls just short of crashy. It means the Roadster has the alertness from behind the wheel that we now expect in a MINI, and darts in and out of corners with barely any body roll.

The electric power-steering is pin-sharp and weights up nicely as the speed increases. Sport mode makes it heavier still, plus sharpens throttle response and cuts shift times if you go for the £1,195 optional six-speed auto box, although we’d stick with the precise six-speed manual.

Also recommended is the electronic differential – standard on the JCW, but optional on all the other cars. By braking the wheel with the least grip under cornering, it helps the Roadster stick to its line and reduces – but doesn’t remove completely – the torque steer usually associated with powerful front-driven MINIs.

As this car encourages you to up the pace, it’s reassuring that refinement with the hood up is similar to the Coupe’s. Drop the roof and with the windows up and the wind break in place, only the top of your head gets blown around. At motorway speeds, you can have a conversation without having to raise your voice, too.

The interior is identical to the Coupe’s, dominated by the central speedo, toggle switches and rev counter behind the wheel. For those who like to personalise their cars, the bonnet and boot stripes come in three colours. The hood is available in black only.

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12 Comments

james

i see the germans are at it again , mini where ? over priced not that reliable , more room in a reliant robin , need constant updates after they are three yrs old by the local stealership , having driven three, cooper, cooper s and mini one, buy a new fiesta instead , more fun to drive and better cabin .

By dusenbergh52 on 29 January, 2012, 3:31pm

Love it

Great review by someone who's actually driven the car. I'm on my fourth MINI and they're still one of the best cars I've ever driven. Superb engineering and such fun to drive. All have been reliable and the dealership is superb, the best customer service I've had from any company. Do yourself a favour and have a drive, far more fun than a boring euro-box.

By FactoryWorks on 31 January, 2012, 7:25am

Here we go again

Same old,same old.

By toycollector on 31 January, 2012, 7:55am

Reminds me of Porsche's Cayman...

Only replace the C in the name for a G.

By voyager on 31 January, 2012, 8:08am

Another fashion accessory

The Coupé and Roadster are aimed at people more concerned with turning heads than turning corners and while the Fiesta is cheaper, more practical and so on, it will also depreciate like a grand piano falling from Beachy Head - rightly or wrongly, MINIs have stronger residuals than most other cars.

By snappyuk on 31 January, 2012, 8:13am

Reliability?

Have they got that self-destruct fire thing properly sorted yet?

By Alexan14 on 31 January, 2012, 8:22am

J D Power

MINI came 18th in the JD Power 2011 survey too (i.e., high).

BMW/MINI/Rolls Royce issuing a recall to fix the water pump issue is worth respect. Whilst only a few cars worldwide have been effected, they've issued a full recall. Something most manufacturers will not do.
...and yes the issue was with the previous generation of turbocharged engines.

By FactoryWorks on 31 January, 2012, 9:51am

PRICEY!

If I had £18,000+ to spend I would buy a Fiesta or a world-beating Focus, much more practical. The Mini is fine for those with more money than sense such as City bankers!

By Classic0904 on 31 January, 2012, 11:36am

missing the point?

why would you consider a fiesta or focus if you want to buy a roadster? WORLD-BEATING FOCUS??? you HAVE to be joking? focus zetec s; 0-60 near 9sec., 178 bhp., over £20k., as ugly as sin, what world would you be talking about?

By brendan on 31 January, 2012, 1:31pm

World beating Focus

World beating Focus, what a joke.
The Mini will definitely sell well but you fail to mention the poor performance by comparison of the MX5.
0-60 in just under 9 seconds is near basic hatch performance.
How about a performance comparison with a 2001 MGF Trophy.
With 0-60 in 6.7 seconds and a shade under 140mph it wipes the floor with the MX5.
Good luck British designed 'Mini'.

By CaptAl1 on 31 January, 2012, 9:29pm

MiniCab

I've been quite cruel about recent Mini derivatives but this one makes sense. It looks really good, BMW have obviously put a lot of thought into the packaging and its the right price. From reading the article it would appear that it drives and goes well too. What's not to like?

By sgtgrash on 1 February, 2012, 2:19pm

BMW???

I believe it's designed by 'MINI', BMW happen to only own them. In fact BMW couldn't design such a vehicle as they don't have the FWD technology.
They have tried and failed miserably some years ago at a cost of some £600 million, if I recall correctly, and that was at 1990s prices.

By CaptAl1 on 4 February, 2012, 10:23am

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Pictures

MINI Roadster Cooper S front cornering
MINI Roadster Cooper S rear cornering
MINI Roadster Cooper S interior
MINI Roadster Cooper S badge
MINI Roadster Cooper S sat-nav
MINI Roadster Cooper S panning
MINI Roadster Cooper S detail
MINI Roadster Cooper S roof
MINI Roadster Cooper S rear detail
MINI Roadster Cooper S boot

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FIRST OPINION

    The Roadster trades the MINI Convertible’s back seats for a good-sized boot and an even sharper driving experience. Its turbo engine revs sweetly and sounds great, especially with the top down, while the handling is as involving as that of the MINI Coupe. For pure fun we’d still go for an MX-5, but the MINI appeals with its fashionable image, superb finish and chunky styling. It oozes fun and is a great addition to the range.

 

AT A GLANCE

    Price: £20,900
    Engine: 1.6-litre 4cyl, turbo
    Transmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
    Power/torque: 181bhp/240Nm
    0-62/top speed: 7.0 seconds/141mph
    Economy/CO2: 47.1mpg/139g/km
    Equipment: Parking sensors, air-con, DAB radio, pop-up spoiler
    On sale: 25 February 2012
     
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