Warning! Anyone who purchases the forthcoming 2009 Mini Cooper Convertible because it?s fashionable, rather than for a genuine appreciation of open air motoring, risks being revealed as a poser.
Expected in showrooms by the end of March 2009, the next-generation Mini Convertible features something called an Openometer. Located right next to the standard odometer, the Openometer records and displays the distance the Mini has been driven with its folding soft top open. An owner who seldom lowers the roof to feel sun on the face and wind in the hair won?t be able to fake it.
The 2009 Mini Convertible is based on the second-generation Mini Cooper Hardtop, introduced in 2007. As such, the new Convertible is slightly larger than its predecessor, with a more rigid structure, revised engine-transmission combinations and more room inside.
The primary difference between the Hardtop and Convertible, of course, is the convertible?s folding top. Yet that feature requires some serious re-engineering, so while the two models are identical from the windshield forward, the Convertible body is different from the windshield back. Most of the changes are aimed at limiting vibration and twisting in the absence of a fixed steel roof, and the Convertible therefore adds weight. Still, Mini says the new Convertible is only about 60 pounds heavier than the Hardtop, and its body is nearly as resistant to flexing. This Mini Convertible is also 22 pounds lighter than its predecessor.
Its insulated soft top folds automatically, stowing behind the rear seat in about 15 seconds. In the event of a sudden rain squall, it can be closed again when the car is traveling up to 20 miles per hour.
The new convertible shares its engines with the Mini Hardtop. The standard model is powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder delivering 118 horsepower and 114-lb-ft of torque. The upgrade Mini Cooper S Convertible gets a turbocharged version of the 1.6-liter engine, pumping output to 172-horsepower and 177-lb-ft. These engines deliver a bit more power than those in the previous convertible. As significantly, they do so while consuming less fuel.
Both Mini Convertible models will come standard with a six-speed manual transmission. A six-speed automatic with steering-wheel shift levers is optional. Mini claims that the Cooper S Convertible with manual goes from 0 to 60 mph in 7.0 seconds, and it?s expected to be rated at 26 mph City, 34 Highway by the EPA.
Inside, from the front seats forward, the Convertible is identical to the Hardtop (except for the Openometer). The soft-top Mini loses about two inches of legroom in the back seat (tight to begin with in the Hardtop), but it doesn?t give up a substantial amount of cargo space. For the first time, the Convertible?s rear seatbacks can be folded to expand trunk space. An optional cargo package will add the folding seat backs, an expanded luggage opening and a pivoting, two-position shelf for packages.
A new automatic, one-piece roll bar replaces the twin, fixed roll hoops on the previous Mini Convertible. When the new model?s electronic brain senses an impending crash or roll-over, the pop-up roll bar extends almost instantaneously of its own accord. Run-flat tires will come standard on all convertible models.
When it hits dealerships this spring, the standard Cooper Convertible model will retail at $24,550, while the Cooper S Convertible starts at $27,450. A wide range of options, from HD radio to graphics packages to performance items such as a limited slip differential and sport suspension could raise those prices another $10,000 or so.
Expect a John Cooper Works Convertible model, with similar performance enhancements to the 211-hp JCW Hardtop, by the end of calendar 2009. It should sell at about $32,000, Openometer included.
