The third-generation of the Mini Cooper Convertible has just arrived in South Africa and features, among other things, a curious Always Open function, which records how long the car is operated with its top down. Does the entry-level Mini ragtop do justice to the rest of the range?
BMW’s small car brand has proven popular in South Africa, and I recently steered Mini’s latest Convertible through the highways and byways of Durban to see what it’s capable of.
Remaining true to what initially made the Mini stand out from the crowd, the Convertible sticks to the retro looks of its tin-topped sibling. It has short overhangs and a chrome-finished radiator with three horizontal bars. Both versions of the Convertible boast large, round headlamps with integrated turn indicators and fog lamps on each side of the lower air intake.
The Mini can accommodate rear passengers, but legroom is limited – only those with short legs should attempt to get comfortable back there. The driver’s seat offers a comfortable perch with firm support and a good range of adjustment. The rev-counter is directly in front of you and it also houses a digital speedometer. If, however, this is not enough for you there’s the huge centrally-mounted speedo. Right next to the tachometer, there is an Always Open timer with the outer ring measuring how many minutes long the top has been down, and the inside black ring in measuring the hours. In my opinion, there is absolutely no point to this what-so-ever.
Advancements have been made to improve the rear view by fitting the Mini with a roll bar that sits more snugly behind the rear seats. It only really helps when one drives the car with its roof up, because when the fabric is folded away, the mound of folded material limit the rear view.
There could be as many switches and toggles in the Minis’ cabin as one might find inside the cockpit of a Boeing. Well, almost. One of those is for the roof, which stows automatically in 15 seconds and can be operated at speeds of up to 30 km/h.
Power comes from the familiar 1,6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine found under the bonnet of the Cooper hatchback . The Cooper Convertible is powered by a naturally-aspirated unit that produces 88 kW at 6 000 r/min and 160 N.m of torque at 4 250 r/min, whereas the Cooper S Convertible employs a twin-scroll turbocharger and direct injection to produce 128 kW at 5 500 r/min and 240 N.m of torque (260 with overboost) from 1 600 to 5 000 r/min.
On the road, the (non-S) Cooper Convertible handles well. Its electrically-assisted steering is great on twisty roads and more than handy for darting between traffic in bustling cities.
In a road test of the previous model (September 2007), CAR criticized the ride quality of the Cooper when traversing less-than-perfect road surfaces. However, that seems to have improved in the latest incarnation, as I noticed that road imperfections were well absorbed without causing distress to the occupants. The six-speed manual ’box has a slick action, but I found that that the engine pulled best from lower revolutions. At higher revs it just felt a bit gutless.
All in all, the Mini Cooper Convertible is as fun as BMW intended it to be. It’s got the funky retro looks that we’ve come to love, and offers wind-in-the-hair thrills from R272 500.
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