The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Third gen Mini Convertible has fresh face and more space
It’s pretty hard to take exception to Mini’s MK3 model Convertible.
It brings more space for passengers and luggage, a larger presence on the road and, for the first time, a customisable fabric roof.
The new design retains the unmistakable character of this popular soft top and buyers can pick petrol, diesel and performance versions.
The Convertible Mini has a slightly different remit from the hatchback – being all about style –- but the fact that it invokes the Cooper name across all three variants hints at the potential for driving thrills.
The base 136bhp Mini Cooper Convertible will accelerate from 0-62mph in 8.8 seconds and hit 129mph. There’s also a 116bhp Cooper D diesel model and a pokier 192bhp Cooper S petrol model.
High performance though, hardly seems relevant in a four seat soft-top: what is important is the operation of the newly-designed roof. At speeds of up to 18mph, this fabric top can be lowered or raised in 18 seconds, so when the British weather does what it does, you’ll not be left out in the rain for too long. If you just want to open the small portion over the front seats, it can slide back 40cm, automatically, at any speed.
The Convertible body has been reinforced to make it rigid enough to cope with the demands of sporty driving which normally would cause the shell to flex.
The basic petrol Mini Cooper Convertible starts at around £18,500 for the manual version, the diesel costs from just over £20,000 and the top of the range John Cooper Works model from a little over £28,000. All variants are available in Manual and Automatic transmissions.
The standard Cooper Convertible petrol model returns 55.4mpg on the combined cycle. For more impressive economy, the Cooper D Convertible returns 70.6mpg, and as you might expect, the sporty Cooper S Convertible consumes a lot more, returning 46.3mpg.
This third generation MINI Convertible looks great, is brilliantly designed, cheap to run and holds its value. It’s even a bit more practical than you’d expect.