is doing quite well for itself. Since the launch of the 2001
-owned
automaker has now sold over two million vehicles in 100 markets, and
over the course of the past decade, has expanded one front-wheel-drive
platform into six models with a grand total of 39 different variants.
The fact that Mini has hit the big time is in no way breaking news.
What's really interesting is how each new model continues to be
supported and loved by the Mini faithful. Perhaps the most controversial
addition came in 2010, when Mini first debuted its bigger, four-door
– the most un-mini Mini. Now, though, it has grown to account for 30
percent of the brand's sales here in the United States, perfectly
coexisting with its Hardtop, Convertible and
brethren. Nicely done.
,
a car that we can't quite give our seal of approval. It's heavier than
the iconic Hardtop, less functional, more expensive and frankly, less
attractive. Sure, it stands true to the brand's core values of fun,
tossable driving dynamics and cheeky style, but at the end of the day,
we don't downright love it like we do the other models.
Now meet the Roadster. Immediate comparisons to the Coupe are indeed
warranted (we'll get to that), but if any car in the Mini portfolio
should be worried, it's the Convertible. The Roadster is less expensive
than the aging Convertible, looks better (arguably) and has a more
capacious boot. No, this new Roadster doesn't seat four, but then again,
the Convertible doesn't exactly do a fantastic job of that, either. And
after driving the new Mini Roadster along the sunny Portuguese coast,
our impression is that this sixth Cooper variant isn't so much another
niche product for a niche manufacturer, it's instead a better droptop
than the current Cooper Convertible.
As much as we don't necessarily care for the Mini Coupe, arguing that
Mini should have just created one car with a folding hardtop or only
gone with the Roadster is really a moot point. Both cars debuted in
concept form at the 2009
Frankfurt Motor Show,
and after receiving lots of attention from both the press and public
alike, both cars were were immediately given the green light thereafter.
We spoke with Horst Radivojevic, project manager for the Mini Coupe and
Roadster, and he told us that there was never a question about doing
just one model – we would either get two or none at all.
We can't help but cock our heads to the side and look slightly puzzled
whenever we see the Coupe, but that's definitely not the case with the
Roadster. Its design is identical to the Coupe in every way, except for
the awkward off-color helmet head of the hardtop and oddly designed rear
greenhouse, all of which has been ditched in favor of a simple black
folding cloth top. The lack of a full rear window and tiny bits of glass
behind the B-pillar make for poor visibility with the top up, but it's
just like what you get in any other two-seat roadster, and honestly,
it's not really any worse than what you get in the Coupe.
A word about that roof – a manual folding top is standard, though we
highly recommend shelling out $750 for the semi-automatic power unit.
The amount of weight that the power top adds is very, very minimal
(about 10 pounds), and it makes for substantially easier operation.
Twist the knob in the middle of the A-pillar to unlock the roof, hold a
button, and the soft top is stowed behind the roll bars in a matter of
seconds. But if frugality is your thing and you just can't swing that
extra three quarters of a grand, the manual top isn't tough to operate.
It's not as easy as the unlatch-and-toss soft top of a
Mazda MX-5, but it's not even remotely close to the archaic get-in-get-out-swear-and-get-in-again obnoxiousness of the now-departed
Pontiac Solstice and
Saturn Sky twins.
Other design notes? Our Cooper S test car came equipped with standard
16-inch rolling stock, but you'll be smart to opt for the Sport pack and
its more eye-pleasing (and road-hugging) 17-inch alloys, especially if
the roads around your house are in decent nick. Also, that cute little
rear spoiler from the Coupe carries over untouched, still deploying
automatically at 50 miles per hour and then stowing itself once you slow
below 37 mph. If we're honest, we somewhat surprisingly prefer the look
of the convertible with the little wing standing at attention, and
there's a toggle switch in the A-pillar that allows you to raise and
lower the spoiler at your own discretion.
Step inside the Roadster and you're greeted with the exact same interior
that you find in the Coupe (and in every other Mini model, for that
matter). We're growing tired of the dinner plate-sized speedometer – but
continue to be impressed with the graphics and user interface of the
new Mini Connected infotainment system. (
Click here for a proper grand tour.)
New additions for 2012 include things like a Lounge leather package
that you can get on the rest of the 2012 Mini models, though the smart
money is on the (admittedly pricy) $2,750 Recaro buckets. Our test car
didn't have these, but we were able to sample them on a different,
stationary car during our time in Portugal, and really, they're the
bee's knees.
The only other major interior change is the addition of fixed roll bars
behind the two seats, with an optional flip-up windscreen filling the
gap between them. On the Convertible, these roll bars are fitted behind
the back seats, and automatically deploy when needed. By having them
fixed and integrated into the torsion bar behind the front seats, this
eliminates weight and, frankly, makes this Mini look like a proper
roadster (we never could get used to the way the roll hoops sit behind
the back seat on the Convertible). The fact that the windshield lies 13
degrees flatter than the one on the Convertible certainly adds to that
sleek appearance, too.
When it comes to weight, the magic number here is 66. At 2,745 pounds,
our Cooper S Roadster is 66 pounds heavier than a Cooper S Coupe, but is
actually 66 pounds
lighter than a Cooper S Convertible.
Combine that with a body that's stiffer and slightly lower to the ground
than the Convertible, and what you have is a droptop Mini that's
definitely more engaging when driven on backroads.
For the sake of comparison, let's bring one of our favorite two-seat roadsters into the mix – the
Mazda MX-5 Miata.
In top-level Grand Touring soft-top spec, the rear-wheel drive Miata is
still 234 pounds lighter than the S Roadster, but it's down on power by
14 horsepower and 37 pound-feet of torque. All in, this means that the
Mini Roadster has a power-to-weight ratio that's nearly identical to
that of the MX-5: 15.2 lb/hp versus 15.1 lb/hp, respectively.
Power in the Cooper S Roadster comes from the same 1.6-liter
turbocharged inline four-cylinder that we love in the rest of the Mini
range, putting 181 hp and 177 lb-ft to the front wheels through either a
six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. A less-powerful
Cooper Roadster model is available with a naturally aspirated 1.6-liter,
offering up 121 hp and 114 lb-ft with both transmissions, and at the
top of the spectrum is the super-hot (and super-pricey) John Cooper
Works Roadster, boasting 208 hp and 192 lb-ft routed exclusively through
a manual gearbox. This mix of small-displacement and turbocharging
comes good at the fuel pump, too – the Cooper S Roadster is estimated to
achieve 27 miles per gallon in the city and 35 mpg highway.
Fun as the JCW Roadster will no doubt be, we were only able to test the
S, which is in no way a bad thing. There's plenty of power available
throughout the rev range in each gear, with the torque thrust coming on
strong at 1,600 rpm. Like all Mini S models, there's a bit of torque
steer off the line under hard acceleration, and the car will understeer
itself into a ditch if you're not easy on the throttle while cornering
hard, but the excellent suspension and superb steering allow for
immediate driver correction and a truly playful nature out on the road.
Again, standard Mini stuff here.
So, let's bring up the Miata again – after all, it's the one car that we
kept mentally referencing while pushing the Mini hard along the
seemingly endless S-curves on the backroads outside of Lisbon. The one
demerit to the Mini here is its front-wheel-drive architecture, as the
Mazda's perfect front-engine/rear-drive balance and lightweight
construction are what make it so darn good to drive. The Mini feels
great in a similar fashion, though heavier – not in a fat sort of way,
it's stable and solid, but perhaps a bit less tossable.
The same can be said in reference to the heavier Cooper S Convertible,
too. It's a fun droptop that we've enjoyed for several years now, but
the Roadster's lower stance and stiffer body truly make it a more
engaging steer. Mini is confident that there's still room for both
convertibles to exist within its portfolio, but for our money, we'd
choose the Roadster, hands down, and we think most enthusiasts will
agree.
Top-down driving in the Roadster is quite pleasant, and with the wind
deflector between the headrests in place, it's easy to hold a
conversation with your passenger even at highway speeds. Should you need
to drive with the top up, things do get a bit noisy because Mini has
employed a single-layer cloth top with exposed support bows. This saves
weight, but raises noise levels. Simple solution: Don't drive with the
top up. Ever.
Pricing starts at $25,050 for the Cooper Roadster – $600 less than the
base Cooper Convertible – and goes as high as $35,200 for the JCW
Roadster. Our mid-grade Cooper S Roadster stickered at $28,050, but like
all Minis, you'll want to go easy on the options list or you'll be well
into the high-$30K range. Max out a JCW Roadster and you'll be pushing
an astonishing $50K (yikes!). Mini executives said they like to think of
the Roadster as a step below the
BMW Z4
– more of a replacement for the smaller, four-cylinder,
first-generation Z3. And while we can't help but note that a Miata is
indeed a better bargain, the Mini comes packed with a whole lot more
equipment, not to mention a better powertrain on top of it all.
Mini is intent on growing its brand even further throughout the next couple of years, with new additions like the
John Cooper Works Countryman and two-door
Paceman
coming within the next year. Sooner or later, this gaggle of Mini
models is going to start cannibalizing each others' sales, but if it
keeps money within the walls of the same dealership, we suppose it can't
be all bad. This new Roadster certainly strikes us as a more rewarding
purchase decision than the Coupe, though we realize that not everyone
wants a convertible. For those who do, however – you can forget about
the Cooper Convertible. Trust us: The Roadster is everything you really
want.
