MINI
It's open season for MINI! The year's must-have drop-top has finally hit the streets, so we grabbed the keys and spent two days unearthing all the newcomer's secrets - such as the fact that it's been facelifted, as well.
A surefire hit. The MINI Convertible is the car to be seen in this summer. It's very practical by class standards, while the driving experience remains largely undiluted, despite the more sluggish acceleration and less rigid body. Pricing is competitive against rivals, while top quality and desirability are the icing on the cake.
It's open season for MINI! The year's must-have drop-top has finally hit the streets, so we grabbed the keys and spent two days unearthing all the newcomer's secrets - such as the fact that it's been facelifted, as well.
The Convertible features new front and rear light clusters, plus a revised grille, also due to appear on the hatch. It's easy to miss these subtle alterations, especially when your attention is automatically drawn to the roof mechanism.
Every Convertible from the One to the Cooper S has a fully electric top, so all you have to do is press a button on the header rail, and 15 seconds later you're ready to soak up the rays. The lid retracts quietly and smoothly, and it boasts an integrated sunroof. First, the canvas slides back 40cm along its rails, providing a half-open mode that operates at up to 75mph. When fully lowered, the roof stows on the rear deck, revealing the characterful cabin.
The car now features a new, three-spoke steering wheel, while the central speedometer has been relocated to the steering column. MINI has retained a four-seat layout for the Oxford-built Convertible, but the back two chairs are strictly for occasional use. It's better to treat them as an additional luggage area - not least because the MINI still has split/fold rear seats to create a substantial 605-litre loadbay.
So where, you might ask, are the roof's motors? Well, MINI's packaging experts have been hard at work because, along with the powered rear windows, the motors are tucked away in the side panels. This maximises interior space and makes the boot surprisingly usable. The flip-down tailgate can even be used as an occasional seat, as is the case on the Range Rover. With the roof up, two handles release the lower edge of the hood, allowing it to be raised up like a hatchback to aid loading.
Yet we're not convinced by the external boot hinges. They hark back to the original Mini, but close up, the plastic coating looks cheap. Nor are we fans of the tall and unsightly rollover bars. Matters are made worse with the roof up because, despite the glass rear screen, the bulky hoops cut down visibility.
The engines are familiar - the 1.6-litre produces 90bhp in the One and 115bhp in this Cooper. Chopping the roof off doesn't do the structural rigidity any favours, so MINI has thickened the side sills, put in extra crossbars and stiffened the floorpan. This adds 100kg to the overall weight so, with a time of 9.8 seconds, the Cooper takes 0.6 seconds longer to cover 0-60mph. On the road, it feels even slower.
But crucially, all the MINI's other key attributes are in place. There is scuttle shake and a lot of unwanted movement on rough roads, but these don't dilute the soft-top's zest for life. With meaty steering, an agile chassis and wind-in-the-hair thrills, it's sure to be a popular choice, not least because the Convertible offers three hood colours and two unique paint finishes (including this Hot Orange). And while the Cooper is a hefty £2,525 more than the hatchback, at £14,625, the price is on a par with the MINI Convertible's class rivals.
