The trunk in the convertible hinges at the bottom to open like a desktop, as in the original Mini. Space is flexible. With the rear seatbacks folded down cargo capacity is 21.3 cubic feet. With the top down and all seats in use wisdom says pack skimpily: There's just 4.2 cubic feet available. That back tailgate, incidentally, is an inviting perch, but screen the perchers: it holds 175 pounds.
Mini's interior is stylish and modern, and exudes quality. Prominent circles set the interior design statement. That large circle in the center of the dash, visible to anyone in the car, is the speedometer. A racy round tachometer is perched like an aftermarket muscle car unit immediately before the driver's eyes and tilts with the adjustable steering column. Toggle switches with little guards are arranged in a row near the bottom of the center stack. They operate power windows, power locks, front and rear fog lamps, and the electronic stability control system. A pair of cup holders immediately in front of the shifter will hold a pair of grande cappuccinos if you squeeze them gently past the bottom edge of the dash.
The Mini interior is full of clever details. The optional automatic climate controls are shaped like the Mini logo, for example. The standard HVAC (heater) controls are attractive and work well, though the mode selector knob lacks the nice feel of the fan knob. Radio buttons are small, but easy to understand and operate.
The dash is neat and firm and has a high-quality leather feel to it. We like the trim on the front of the dash of the standard Cooper, but we're not sure we like the finish on the plastic trim that adorns the dash and doors of the S model. It's designed to look like brushed aluminum, but it looks more like smudged plastic, like a young girl put her sneakers all over it.
The low roofline means you have to stoop to see traffic lights overhead. (Traffic signals are mounted on poles in jolly old England.) Sunroof lovers should love the dual-pane panoramic sunroof ($850). Maybe we're not sunroof lovers. Only mesh covers the glass panels on the inside, letting the sun come streaming in even when you don't want it. Besides, the metal roof makes a better background for the Union Jack.
The convertibles retain the Mini's four-passenger seating capability, adding the pleasures of open-air motoring at the whim of the driver, that whim answered in 15 seconds with a special retractable top. Amazing for a car in this price range is the single button control to raise and lower the top with no latches or handles to twist.
Furthermore, there's a part-way mode in retracting the lid that leaves a sun-roof section open at the front of the cockpit granting front-seat occupants a view of skyscrapers, majestic peaks or the indulgent stares of teamsters at the wheel of 18-wheelers. This unique sun-roof, by the way, can be operated while tooling along at Interstate speeds. This appealing semi-open feature is possible because the first 15 inches of the top is a rigid panel; no flapping in the breeze. And this rigid panel serves another purpose: as the unlined top Z-folds itself like so much ribbon candy behind the perky little twin roll bars at the back of the rear seats the stiff section provides a finishing touch. No tonneau has to be wrestled into place to neaten things up (or left to claim storage space when the top is up). The top is ding an sich. Complete.
The convertible version of the Mini Cooper is tying a cute ribbon in the top knot of a cute puppy; it is even more aaah-inspiring. But then, like the hard-top Mini, it surprises and delights with its serious motoring capabilities. Its chassis is extremely rigid for a topless car, which means the Mini's acclaimed go-kart cornering capability is left intact. Next Page