MINI Convertible - open for business

Expert Rating:

What is it?

It's the new rag top version of the current generation MINI, which had slipped down the firm's priority list thanks to the plethora of other variants in the pipeline, such as the Clubman and the Cooper D. But the pipeline's clear (for now anyway - there's the 4x4 Crossover still to come) so MINI is finally free to unveil the open-top version. In any event, the current Convertible, based on the original 'new' MINI, is still a strong seller - shifting nearly 5,500 units in 2008. MINI's 'if it ain't broke' styling policy meant that it could almost keep selling the old Convertible alongside the new hatchback without anyone really noticing.

When it hits MINI showrooms at the end of March, the newcomer will come in Cooper, Cooper S and John Cooper Works (JCW) guises. MINI is hinting that a One will come later and perhaps even a diesel.

Now, you might be looking at the picture and asking yourself 'what's the difference?' But, much like the transition from new MINI to new MINI Mk II, it's the little details that make a big difference. The awkward-looking external hinges on the boot have gone and, most noticeably, the huge roll bars behind the rear seats have been replaced by a single chrome bar that sits flusher with the car's shoulder line. It now pops up only in the event of a nasty rollover incident - so hopefully you'll never see it fully erect. There are some new colours and interior trims too - as always and the roof switches are nice MINI-style toggle items, rather than generic BMW Group units. The window line is higher than it was last time around too, and the roof, which remains a pram style cloth affair, can be raised or lowered in 15-seconds flat.

Is it any good?

The Cooper S Convertible is very good, in fact, and it's very good because it's as un-compromised as you could expect any car with a whopping great hole in the top of the bodywork to be. Its donor car, the Cooper S hatch, is a car widely regarded as a standard bearer for front-wheel drive hot hatch dynamics - and thankfully the conversion to Convertible doesn't let the side down - unless you're really pedantic about it. For the time being, however, let's be pedantic.

It is, of course, slightly heavier and slightly slower than the hatch thanks to obligatory structure strengthening in the A-pillars and down the flanks, and though you'd struggle to feel the effect of the tweaks most of the time, find a grainy road surface and the whole body vibrates like a hand blender. It also has a boot and a pair of rear seats that, although incrementally improved over the outgoing Convertible, are close to useless. That said, the rear seats fold down to liberate a bit of extra load space - but a practical car this isn't.

Onto the positives - and there are many - the chassis feels as tight and composed as its fixed head brother the majority of the time; it's tangibly just as quick (which is to say it doesn't feel heavier); it steers and corners with all the meaty tenacity of the hatchback; and with the roof up it's a very civilised thing. Sure, there's some unpleasant wind noise at motorway speeds, but what do you expect? And on the subject of noise, a merry benefit of the open-topped Cooper S is the increased aural firework display dished out by the exhaust pipes. The sequence of low pops and grumbles served up when the throttle's lifted is a beautiful thing - one you'll want to enjoy with the top down.

And, bizarrely, the MINI will tell you exactly how long you've been enjoying it for via the 'Always-Open Timer' - an optional display that, rather pointlessly, sits adjacent to the rev counter and tells you how long you've had the top down for. It's typically gimmicky, but very MINI and quite charming all the same.

Should I call the bank manager?

You'll probably have to make that call if you're to muster up the cash for a reasonably specified Convertible in the current climate, because with a list price some £2,500 higher than an equivalent hatch, the open MINI is expensive. Bank on well over £20,000 for the well-optioned Cooper S you see in the pictures accompanying this - more than most European coupé-cabriolets, though still considerably less than an Audi A3 Cabriolet for instance.

The MINI should hold it's value well, though, which will cushion some of the initial outlay, and fuel economy and emissions are significantly improved over its predecessor on all versions - the Cooper S dishes out 23 percent improvements for both, registering 44.1mpg and 153g/km, with all the associated VED and tax benefits.

Summary

The new MINI Convertible is a hugely impressive car, adding open air thrills to the vivacious hatch without compromising it very much at all - which will make it hugely desirable to driving enthusiasts and posers alike. Only a select few small convertibles can make a similar claim.

Whether the pricey drop top can repeat the 160,000-plus sales success of the outgoing Convertible in the current economic climate remains to be seen, however, but it looks better, drives better and is cheaper to run. It bodes well.

Mark Nichol