► Mini Cooper Convertible completes Mini line-up
► Production returns to Oxford after nine years
► Deliveries in 2025, priced from £26,200
The new Mini Cooper Convertible has officially joined the ranks of the refreshed Mini family, bringing alfresco thrills to the new generation.
Set to roll off the production line at Mini Plant Oxford later this year for the first time after a nine-year break, the new model is offered in three trim levels. Prices will start at £26,200, with first deliveries scheduled for early 2025 – just in time for next summer.
So what’s under the bonnet of the latest Mini Convertible?
Drivers can choose between two petrol engines. The standard Mini Cooper Convertible C produces 165bhp and can reach 62 mph in 8.2 seconds, while the performance-oriented Cooper Convertible S ups the ante with 212bhp, achieving the same sprint in a brisk 6.9 seconds.
What flavour of convertibles do you get?
The Convertible comes in three trim offerings, just like the Cooper hatch: Classic, Exclusive, and Sport. For the Mini Convertible Cooper C, the entry-level classic trim features a black-trimmed front grille and 16-inch alloys. The Cooper S Classic upgrades the wheels to 17-inch dark grey alloys. The standard body colour is silver with a black/blue interior trim for both the Cooper C and S.
Exclusive trim offers a more premium look, with a silver front grille and Mini logos, 17-inch alloy wheels, and an eye-catching British Racing Green exterior body colour. Inside, it features blue seats and a light beige/grey dash dashboard knit.
Sport trim adds a performance-inspired edge, with a unique front and rear design. It features a gloss hexagonal grille surround, sculpted front and rear aprons, and black brake callipers with JCW badging, which is a nod to the John Cooper Works racing outfit. The exterior is completed by 18-inch JCW alloy wheels, with red paint.
Meanwhile, the interior of the Sport trim steps things up throughout the cabin, too. It comes with JCW black cord/Vescin (Minis vegan alternative to leather) seats, a dashboard with black/red accents, and a partially perforated steering wheel featuring red highlights. Paddle shifters on the wheel and decorative black/red knit trim complete the sporty, more driver-focused set-up.
What is the wind-in-the-hair motoring experience like?
The roof is fully automatic at a flick of a switch, going from closed to open in just 18 seconds. Impatient types can operate the roof on the move (up to 19mph) and for partial convertible motoring the roof can be opened a small amount (40cm) for a sunroof effect (see below). In case it all goes horribly wrong, there is rollover protection as part of the safety kit.
What’s the tech on offer?
Just like the hatchback you get the 9.5-inch circular OLED display, which is both touch and voice-operated to access the usual functions such as navigation, phone, and entertainment. Mini Convertible Cooper owners can use the Mini app to set their smartphones up as the key to the car; when the owner gets close to the vehicle the car will flash its light in a set sequence and unlock the doors.
Is the Mini Convertible Cooper worth the wait? Let us know in the comments below.