Three years after its hugely successful reintroduction of the Mini brand, BMW has unveiled the long awaited convertible model. Available at first in Mini One and Cooper models only, the Convertible goes on sale in the summer with prices to be confirmed nearer the launch date. A Cooper S range topper will complete the line up later in the year.
The roof follows in the lead of that found on the
Z4 we tested recently needing nothing other than a press of a button to lower in a fuss-free 15 seconds. A clever feature allows the driver to press the button once to give a 40 cm opening akin to a sunroof giving a useful intermediate stage for when roof down motoring isn't required.
Externally the new Mini harks back to the original with a new drop down boot with steel cables as hinges to give a handy loading deck into the boot. A new range of colours has also been made available to complement the 3 choices of hood colour, new interior trim and alloys.
The Car Enthusiast hope to test the Mini Convertible as soon as test cars are available. Watch out for the review on the main
Road Tests page.
Dave Jenkins - 27 Feb 2004
