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Nargess Shahmanesh-Banks test drives the new Mini Convertible
There wasn't an original
British Layland made, Issigonis designed Mini convertible, but then who
cares, the new Mini has cooked up its own recipe for desirability, says
Nargess Shahmanesh-Banks.
The all-new Mini Convertible
will be heading to the US |
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The BMW Mini sells on style. It eludes to a certain lifestyle and arouses
the type of emotion that can be much more marketable than plain driveability.
So it's extra icing on the cake when you see that the cars (both the One
and Cooper) are nippy drives that can adapt as much to the city as to
the country roads.
But now for some key facts
All Mini convertibles have fully automatic fabric roofs as standard. The
roof operates in two stages: press the button once, whilst driving at
the maximum speed of 75mph, and the roof slides horizontally back 40cm
to reveal a charming sunroof effect. Press it once more and the roof retracts
completely, folding neatly behind the rear seats, all in just 15 seconds,
though, the car must be stationary.
The roof operates on what Mini calls a 'Z' mechanism, which basically
means that the dimensions of the folded roof (it folds into three neat
layers on top of one another) are kept to a bare minimum, so that the
capacity of the boot shrinks from 165 to a respectable 120 litres. Additionally,
the roof incorporates a heated glass rear window.
The roof is available in three colours: black, dark green and dark blue,
to mix and match with the ten exterior colour choices. The Mini One comes
only with a black hood.
It's true that that BMW's Mini is no longer tiny like its hero, nor is
it dead-cheap like the original one, but it is still a truly desirable,
cheeky automobile that in years to come may even develop its own cult
status.
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July 2004
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