Mini flips lid for summer
Pardon the oxymoron, but when it comes to automotive long shots, nothing could be bigger than the Mini Cooper.
When it was first unwrapped two years ago, Mini was the little car that might, even if more people thought it might not.
Lined end to end, you could have traced the number of Mini skeptics from here to Baden-Baden, Germany.
Parent company BMW mixing with Mini? Mini mixing with a whole new generation of buyers who would buy into the fact it was hip to be square (if not very small)?
All of it worked. With clever billboards and even better cars, the little car that might became a big boom. All of a sudden, Mini can do no wrong. There are Mini car collector clubs. There is Mini merchandise.
Two years later, Mini has sold nearly 400,000 vehicles worldwide with one fun, fast, frisky equation.
Add a second. What’s better than a hardtop Mini? How about a no-top Mini? New for this year, the Mini convertible arrives just in time for summer with all of the quirks and creature comforts we saw in the first Mini – sans top.
For starters, the convertible arrives with a roof that is fully automatic – no manual latches to tug away on, thank you – and retracts with two ingenious modes.
Pull it back halfway and you have a 16-inch sunroof in a matter of seconds. Pull it back all the way behind the rear seats and you have a convertible in 15 seconds.
Transforming the Mini into a convertible wasn’t easy. Among the best qualities of the hardtop were its wide stance, smooth ride, sharp handling and secure footing. Cutting away at the roofline and adding a fabric top was going to require some extra surgery underneath. So Mini’s engineers make the side sills thicker and integrated reinforcement plates into the floor to prevent body flex and to strengthen the structure. Thicker panels were used at the stress points, and crossbars were added in the middle of the vehicle and at the rear.
Nothing has been compromised by flipping the Mini’s lid. And that’s perhaps the real bonus.
Although the Mini gets a little more maxi on the scales, the structure is still just as rigid, and it still feels as stiff as the hardtop version. Just like the hardtop, the convertible is nimble on the twisty roads and secure in tight corners.
Powering you through those turns is the 115-horsepower, 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that always seemed faster than the specs stated. Connected to a five- or six-speed manual, it is the true harmony of driver and car, a peppy little racer that will gladly get you where you need to be in a hurry. There is also the option of the Cooper S, a new 170 horsepower supercharged version that is even racier than last year’s model.
Inside, all the Mini peculiarities are all there, except with Mini’s new Cockpit Chrono package the speedometer that used to sit like a giant Swiss watch in the center of the dashboard is neatly placed over the steering column.
Fear not, Mini mavens. The knobs and buttons that control locks and windows are still placed between metal loops that could have been pulled off Mission Control in the 1960s. And the ride is still very Mini-esque – bumps in the road are felt with the occasional “thud” just the same way a sports car rattles you around a bit.
On the outside, the look from the street is pretty cutting edge. Mini has added twin roll bars with built-in headrests behind the rear seats. They’re actually functional, but they do block more of the rear visibility than we might like. Just to make backing up easier, the convertible comes with Park Distance Control, which gives the driver a series of warnings when in reverse.
As for cargo space in the trunk, well, the Mini never really excelled there in the first place. With the convertible on top, this is obviously no longer a hatchback. But the drop-down trunk li comes with exterior-mounted hinges on the outside (old-school Mini) and two shelves inside for storage space (of which there isn’t much). If you want more, the rear seats do fold flat.
Creativity comes standard. Sticking with Mini’s unusual, stand-apart-front-the-crowd demeanor, the convertible is available with Hot Orange, Cool Blue or eight other wild colors. The roof can be ordered in a choice of black, blue or green.
Expected to sell for between $20,000 and $25,000 (pricing is still to be finalized), it doesn’t give you everything, but it comes close. Air conditioning is not standard. And some might still find it a little too Mini – it’s only 12 feet long – when parked next to, say, an 18-wheeler.
But, hey, it’s a convertible. If you don’t like summer, buy a hardtop.
And if you don’t like the idea of Mini, don’t even bother.
This is a mindset. A fun, wind-in-your-hair adventure in a car that wasn’t even supposed to still be around.
All of those miniature expectations growing by the minute.
2005 Mini Cooper Convertible
Rating: 3.5
Vehicle type: Front-wheel-drive, front-engine, two-door, four-passenger compact convertible
Key competition: Honda S2000, Acura RSX, Volkswagen New Beetle
Base engine: 115-horsepower, 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine
Optional engine: 170 horsepower, 1.6-liter four-cylinder supercharged engine
Transmission: Five- or six-speed manual
Standard safety equipment: Four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes; front air bags; side-impact air bags
MPG rating: 24 city/31 highway
Manufactured: England
Warranty: Basic warranty is four years/50,000 miles with roadside assistance.
Base price: $20,000 (estimated)
Price as tested (including destination and delivery): TBA