New convertible Mini high mileage car

BMW reinvented the high mileage Mini several years ago now and it continues to be a success. No other classic car thats been given a new lease of life has been so successful, including VW's Beetle. BMW respond to public demand for the little car by continuing to release more iterations and special editions of the Mini. The Works Mini is a high performance version. A successful soft top was released, and the Clubman is a slightly larger station wagon take on the Mini. A soft roader Mini and an electric Mini are also on the drawing board. Feeding off the success of the first soft top, BMW have unveiled a new convertible Mini, which they're hoping will be another popular retro high mileage car.

The new convertible Mini is available in the familiar Cooper and Cooper S versions. Both cars have a 1.6 litre engine coupled to either manual or auto boxes. The Cooper is normally aspirated and delivers 120 bhp while the 'S' is turbocharged and considerably more powerful, outputing 175 horsepower. The non turbo engine squeezes out all the power it can through the use of variable valve timing, but it's not a particularly powerful engine and performance is mediocre and noticeably slower than the hard top Mini. The reason for this is all the extra weight of the equipment for the auto opening roof. The turbo engine is a completely different animal and easily copes with the extra weight. Its definitely the engine you want with the soft top Mini. The extra power gives the car its usual nimble performance that we've come to expect from Mini's. It can't be over emphasised what a great engine the 1.6 turbo is. It pulls well across almost the whole rev range which is outstanding for such a small engine.

The non turbo Cooper has a good fuel economy of 49 miles per gallon for the manual and 42 for the automatic. The Cooper S is not such a high mileage car but still very respectable with a fuel consumption of 42 mpg for the manual and 39 mpg for the auto. For a fun go-kart like feel the six speed manual gearbox is the better option. Its changes are quick and smooth and it really adds to the driving experience. The automatic is a bit slow to change gears although there is a Sport button which sharpens them up.

The Mini's soft top is well thought out, easy to use and quick to open and close. The first press of a button opens the soft top up as a sunroof. A further press of the button opens it up all the way. When you're driving around with the top down its not excessively windy and with the top up its not too noisy. BMW have fitted an 'Openometer' gauge to their new convertible Mini's. Really its just a timer telling you how long you've had the roof down and is just mean't to be a bit of fun although BMW do say it is useful to let you know how much UV radiation you've had. There are a couple of ways the soft top could be improved but they're only minor - there is no cover for it, and rear visibility is not ideal.

BMW's new convertible Mini is a high mileage car with lots of cool options but they don't come cheap. Without any extras the car is not cheap but when you start adding the numerous features available the price quickly heads towards what you'd pay for a luxury car. Some of the options include mp3 player, phone support, a 10 speaker premium stereo system, sportier suspension, traction control, heated leather seats, multi function steering wheel, mood lighting and climate control.

Many convertibles do not have as good road handling as their equivalent coupe's. The reason for this is the metal roof provides stiffness to the car allowing for quick changes of direction. When you take away that metal roof it often leads to sloppy handling due to the twisting of the car's body. I'm pleased to report the Mini belongs to a select group of convertibles whose handling remains excellent despite the lack of a metal roof. There's only very minimal loss of stiffness and the convertible is still outrageously nimble. There's an optional sports suspension package which further tightens things up but the resulting ride will be too harsh for many people.

The Mini's cabin is very sylish. They've color coded it to the exterior paint and the design of the interior is unique to Mini's. There's even a mood lighting option which allows you to change the colour of the dash lights. Space is fine for the driver and front passenger, very tight for rear passengers and cargo space is tiny, but then you don't buy this car for interior space.

Safety is good for a small soft top car. It has a five star safety rating and four airbags (front and side airbags). Stability control is optional. Unique to the soft top, a sensor detects when the car rolls and fires a pop up rollbar to protect the occupants.

The latest soft top Mini is a great car. Its well constructed, agile and will put an enormous smile on your face. Its fast too if you buy the turbo and yet it still manages to be a high mileage car. The Mini convertible is a bit overpriced though, even in standard form. Once you start adding a few options the price is way over the top leaving you feeling a little ripped off. Its still a good high mileage convertible though.