Chopping the top off the MINI Cooper simply ups its fun quotient

Image: Nick Jaynes/Mashable

By Nick Jaynes2016-02-16 23:01:53 UTC

I figure if you're thinking about the MINI Cooper ^[2] Convertible, you're going to want to know about its fun-ness. I am pleased to report it is very much fun. That's because it takes the potent twee aspect of the Cooper Hardtop and adds sunshine to the equation.

It has the same stiff chassis, the same powerful but buttery engines and the same premium but simple interior. Oh, and let's not forget the same wonderful Harman Kardon sound system.

As much as I'd like to, ending my review there would not be doing this incomparable little car — or you — any favors. So let's dig into it a bit more.

Soft-top

Since the roof is the most distinguishing characteristic of this car in the MINI lineup, let's discuss it.

It's a soft-top that folds away in about 18 seconds while you're driving at up to speeds of around 18 miles per hour. (That's the official figure, but I got it to fold away near 30 mph). Cleverly, however, if you don't want to put the entire roof down, MINI has designed the top to first retract just a bit — essentially mimicking a sunroof.

2017 Mini Cooper S Convertible

Image: Nick Jaynes/Mashable

Of course, it's not all sunshine and wind in the soft curls of your hair (I'm assuming). Compared to the Hardtop, the Convertible is louder on the road. But you have to know going in that there will be some sacrifices to convertible ownership.

There's also the price premium. The Cooper Convertible starts at $25,950 — about $5,000 more than the base Hardtop. So you must really, really love roofless driving if you want to invest in the car.

Sunny and sound-y interior

With the top down, the premium but rather spare interior is significantly brightened up. That's what the sun is good for, after all.

Like all brands under the BMW umbrella, all the best features, like fine wood and technology, are optional extras. So to get the Cooper Hardtop you would feel proud to drive every day, you're going to pay a lot more than the base price.

If you're willing to plunk down extra cash, you can get a lot of fun options — like a Union Jack emblazoned soft-top and racing stripes.

Perhaps my favorite add-on of the MINI range is the Harman Kardon sound system. Since the car is taut like a drum, the additional kick of the bass-heavy speakers really resonates — even with the top down. Truly, the MINI Harman Kardon sound system is my favorite in the industry.

Performance power

Like the Cooper Hardtop, the Convertible can be configured with a 134-horsepower turbocharged 3-cylinder engine or a 189-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder (Cooper S), with either the 6-speed manual or the 6-speed automatic transmission.

2017 Mini Cooper S Convertible

Image: Nick Jaynes/Mashable

Though the 3-cylinder lacks the oomph more sporty (code word for "aggressive") drivers will desire, it more than makes up for it with improved fuel economy. The Cooper S four-cylinder is a virtual rocket ship. In fact, it has so much power, it might pull the front wheels to the right or the left (something called torque steer) during hard acceleration.

Broadly, though, both engines compliment the distinctive experience of MINI ownership. The 3-cylinder is pokey but charming and the 4-cylinder is powerful and will only enlarge the smile on your sun-drenched face from behind the wheel of the Cooper S Convertible.

Incomparable MINI

While I was driving the Convertible in the mountains outside Malibu, California, I was struck with the idea that, aside from the Smart Fortwo Convertible, which is a far, far less refined and enjoyable machine, the MINI doesn't really have any competition.

And while sometimes I worry that sort of monopoly on a market might lead to tyranny, in the case of MINI, it hasn't.

Although I'm not sure I love the big size of the new MINI Cooper, in Convertible form it works. Losing the top both literally and figuratively cuts off a lot of the hulk of the form and leaves you with the kind of small shape you want from a brand whose name indicates it should be "of a much smaller size than normal."

What you're left with is a small-ish premium convertible without any of the seriousness or pretension of the other premium brands. With the Cooper Convertible, MINI seems to be having a laugh (in a good way). And from behind its wheel, so will you.

2017 Mini Cooper S Convertible