Mini finally has a convertible version of the redesigned Mini Cooper it introduced back in 2014, and if it means I get a better chance to hear the fantastic noise of the John Cooper Works, it was worth the wait.
Well, okay, there isn’t a JCW convertible Cooper just yet, but it’s coming soon. Until then the topless Mini shares the same powertrains as the hardtop models - either a 1.5L turbo I3 in the Cooper or a 2.0L turbo I4 in the Cooper S, with around 135 hp and 190 hp respectively. You can check out every detail of the convertible’s hard-headed twin in our handy-dandy Buyer’s Guide.
The new drop-top Cooper is a little longer, wider, and taller than the previous model and on a longer wheelbase. This gives you a little more space to work with, but you shouldn’t be buying something called a “Mini” if you have a lot of stuff to haul. Dropping the roof also takes up about 25 percent of your trunk space, so the little bit added helps.
You can lower the roof at speeds under 20 mph, and if you really want a Union Jack on your roof, but don’t want the hardtop, you can check a box to have a desaturated Jack woven into your fabric top.
As good as the Cooper and John Cooper Works models are, if I’m going to want Mini to sell me a convertible, it has to be that sexy Superleggera concept they teased earlier this year.
PHOTO CREDIT: MINI