Riding the Wind
The MINI Cooper Convertible takes the iconic little British car line from sporty to light-heartedly comfortable, writes Paolo F Vergara
With summer hovering on the horizon, there’s the buzz of anticipation to get away from the pressures of urban living. With freeways south and north calling out, open up to the country air with the lat est in the MINI convertible small car series: the breezy 192-hp Cooper S Convertible and the athletic 228-hp MINI John Cooper Works (JCW) Convertible.
Despite unpredictable weather on the road, one need not fuss as the adaptable soft top opens and closes even at up to 30kph. A balmy breeze over a sky-blue panorama? Check. Rain clouds on the horizon? Check. A light picture-perfect drizzle? Check. The soft top mechanism easily toggles with a switch conveniently placed on the front roof frame.
With a low centre of gravity, larger wheels spaced further apart, and the MINI’s trademark front wheel transmission, the power of the drive is quite literally at one’s fingertips. On the asphalt, revel in the familiar whimsy of a go-kart coupled with the smooth handling brought by the finest in British motoring technology: the single-joint strut front axle and multi link rear axle—quite uncommon within the class of small cars. Motorheads craving for the drift may also opt for a sports suspension set-up geared for dynamism.
At the core of each Cooper’s adaptable performance is the precision brought by
Servotronic steering support for quick cornering or low speed manoeuvring, for both country and city driving. The once-optional Dynamic Damper Control now graces the driving modes of every MINI JCW Convertible variant.
Paired up with a three-cylinder engine for the basic Cooper and a f our-cylinder version for the S each utilizing MINI TwinPower Turbo Technology, power and precision prime up a memorable drive. Additionally, these meet the emission standards set by the European Union for these more environmentally-mindful times.
Adapting moment-to-moment, motorists may choose from driving modes geared
towards cruise comfort or for exhilarating speeds and turns. Sports gear or picnic baskets, larger storage space makes a fitting culmination of a long drive. Built-in Driver Assistance systems with rear-cameras and LED lights come in context when the fog rolls in or when at tig ht spots.
The marque may be of the small car class, but the present generation features more spacious interior and exterior dimensions than predecessors. Larger legroom, curves and a windshield ergonomically optimised for open-air driving create a grand cruise.
MINI’s online customisation tool invites self-expression via ten million possible design iterations. From decals, veneers, and interiors, all the way to performance-specific configurations for wheels and suspension systems, there is a MINI for all fancies.
MINI has become an institution of its own from the iconic Coopers of the
Mr Bean TV series to innovations in motorsports, the marque with its latest convertibles stands firmly in the realm of luxury. Here, convertible doesn’t only describe a hood, but points at the car ’s performance range matched by its youthful look, representing the finest in British and German engineering and design. Driving a MINI, no detail is too small to miss, no horizon too big to miss out on.
The MINI marque is exclusively distributed in the Philippines by the Autohub Group. Visit the MINI showrooms at Bonifacio Global City and Cebu.