Reviews
Gallery 1
The new Mini Cabrio is called a Convertible – so that you know it is not the same as the old Cabrio. It has a stiffer chassis, a bigger boot and a slicker roof.
WHAT IS IT? The Convertible version of the all-new Mini. It is here to tempt those who worship the sun and still want to have fun.
WHY WE’RE TESTING IT Because the last one was just a tiny bit wobbly, for a Mini: we’re curious to see whether they have engineered out the scuttle shake. And also because Minis can be a hoot to drive.
THE WHEELS VERDICT We still think this car would be more fun with the manual gearbox that’s available in other markets, but that complaint aside it’s a fantastic looking fun-mobile that’s amusing to drive. It’s not very practical, but what convertible is? The target market will love it.
PLUS: Styling; go-kart handling; bigger boot; cool interior with hip and trendy multimedia; new roof is smooth, quiet and quick. MINUS: No manual gearbox (because nobody wants one); could use more power (but JCW version is coming); slight understeer at limit; too quiet.
Apparently the number of people who like to use a clutch in any BMW product, even the M3 and M4, is now around five per cent or lower, and the demand for it in the most female-friendly of the Minis was seen as being roughly zero (40 per cent of buyers are male, however, and should be ashamed of themselves).
Fortunately the new Mini Cooper S Convertible’s six-speed Steptronic sports transmission is pretty good, particularly if you shift with the big, sporty-feeling paddles. (Sadly, you only get them with the $45,400 Mini Cooper S version. The $37,900 Cooper gets a non-sporty transmission).
The only problem is the noise you get as you shift, which sounds like either a polite cough or a stifled fart.
We weren’t offered a drive of the Cooper’s three-cylinder, 1.5-litre engine, with 100kW and 220Nm, but can confirm the 2.0-litre four-cylinder’s 141kW and 280Nm is fast enough to put a smile on your face. But then it’s hard not to start smiling as soon as you see the Convertible with its hat off.
But the Mini’s cheery design – it looks so similar to the old Mini Cabrio that they had to change the name to Convertible so it would feel new – and roof-down sunniness are pure fun.
The boot is now 25 per cent bigger, however, which means it’s gone from pointless to just about usable (215 litres with roof up, 160 with it down).
Pushing hard, or driving aggressively, is not really a habit for most buyers of the Convertible Mini, however, much like changing their own gears. It’s more about cruising, soaking up the rays, seeing and being seen. Which makes it a perfect fit for LA, where the sun always shines.
