Having recently written a blog on owning a cabriolet in South Africa, I attended the launch of the new Mini Roadster with what one could call a circumspect attitude. One particular issue for me is being approached by street vendors who have no concept of personal space and being trapped at a traffic light with an open roof can potentially invite unwanted attention.
With this is mind; in the absence of a semi-automatic roof (available soon) and for weight-saving reasons a maunally operated roof is currently fitted to the roadster. While in theory this roof should be easily operated from the drivers seat, I have to admit I struggled to open it without having to get out of the car, much to the amusement of my “stronger” male counterparts.
The Mini Roadster launch was held in Cape Town, probably the most perfect setting for a ‘topless’ drive. While the Mini convertible has been catering for lifestyle enthusiasts for some time now, the Roadster, with its firmer suspension and lack of rear seats, caters for the more hardcore thrill-seeking driving enthusiast. With this is mind, the conditions of the road surfaces become more of a factor.
I first stepped into a John Cooper Works with the 6-speed manual gearbox and headed out from the airport. Joining the N2 provided a good opportunity to open this baby up. The gear changes were superb and the ride was softer than I expected, although both the National Road and the tight and twisty Rooiels Road that followed are particularly smooth. I got to enjoy both JCW and the Cooper S versions on this stretch.
I then got behind the wheel of the Cooper and all I can say is I went from hero to zero very quickly. By now I was on the roads surrounding Grabouw and Villiersdorp and it was here where we really felt the downside of the firmer Roadster setup. Not only did I feel like I should have worn a sports bra, but every bump and inperfection in the road was somewhat unnervingly felt through the steering wheel. At times, I felt I was fighting to keep the car heading in right direction. The Cooper also has notibly more body roll than the two sportier options. This said, the best attributes of Mini Roadster ownership are perhaps not an ultra smooth, luxurious ride but more a fun, not-too-serious driving experience meant to mimic that of a go-kart. Which personally, I can’t get my head around, why would you want to drive a go-kart unless you are on a go-cart track… competing? A sport suspension is available as an option on the Cooper and Cooper S, and it is standard on the JCW.
I only managed to drive the Cooper Roadster with the 6-speed automatic transmission which I found struggled to find an optimal ratio to suit the relatively low-powered engine. There’s also an unwelcome delay between throttle input and down shifts that could prove disconcerting approaching a low speed corner. Steering wheel mounted paddles are provided as a means of manually operating this transmission but I struggled to comfortably reach them. To gear down you have to use your thumbs and mine were too short to sit comfortably on the steering wheel. To shift up, you used your fingers behind the steering wheel. Basically it is no easy task trying to find the right fit on the steering wheel if you want to drive using the paddles.
The Roadster features Dynamic Stability Control, Dynamic Traction Control, while the top of the range John Cooper Works offers an Electronic Differential Lock Control as a standard fitment, helping to better put down the power on the road, especially through corners.
The local engine line up consists of the 1,6-litre turbocharged 155 kW/280 N.m JCW Roadster, the Cooper S Roadster with 135 kW/260 N.m, and the naturally aspirated 1,6-litre engine with 90 kW/160 N.m.
The range comes standard with a 3 year / 75 000 km Motorplan Maintenance Contract with MINI Assist.
Prices:
Cooper Manual R296 881
Cooper AT R314 520
Cooper S Manual R351 480
Cooper S AT R368 434
JCW R401 189