Mini Cabrio Reviews

What price do you put on a smile? Not just talking monetary value, but also convenience, comfort and safety.I recently went into a tirade about another manufacturer who released a sports version of their convertible. It just doesn't make any sense. The engine and suspension are just too much for the compromised chassis to deal with. The laws of physics are just against it.Besides, isn't a convertible all about opening up to the warmth of the sunshine and the smells of the countryside as you amble along a country road? It's not about taking off the top and scorching through so fast you can't see, hear or feel anything except the bodywork shaking, rattling and rolling under duress.Then I jumped into the Mini JCW (John Cooper Works) Cabrio and my angry-old-man arguments exploded in my face. Here is a car that is way over-powered and over-sprung for its chassis. It should have me turning purple with apoplexy.Yet somehow I couldn't stop grinning every time I drove it. I even dropped the lid on one occasion and took my wife to the park for a twilight walk and put on a silly sparkly green hat for the photos. A Mini convertible can do that to you. They put a smile on your face, even when everything practical inside you is screaming 'this just doesn't make any sense'.Appearance and fit-outOur test came with silly GT stripes, bright chromed eyes like a cutesy bunny rabbit, lairy spokes 17-inch alloys and a chintzy JCW badge on its bum. Inside, there are the usual fiddly toggle switches, the school clock-sized speedo in the centre dash area and impossible-to-read instruments.The front sport seats are actually quite comfortable and it's not too difficult to get in and out. But there is next to no room in the back and forget about any cargo space. Thankfully the soft top folds down on to the top of the back deck, rather than taking up any more boot space. There are so many accessories and customisation options available, it is possible you can customise it into a unique model.DrivetrainThis one now comes packed with 1.6-litre twin-scroll turbocharged engine that pumps out 155kW of power and 280Nm of twisting torque on overboost. The poor old steering and chassis just can't cope. Plant your foot and it's like trying to wrestle a python. The steering wheel yanks and twists this way and that way while the chassis contorts, making the whole thing shudder and quake.DrivingIt's just ridiculous. Yet something inside me wants to giggle like a schoolgirl when it happens. So every time I got into this car I gave it the berries just to wrestle with it. I also discovered that if you suddenly released the throttle when the revs are about 4500rpm, you get a nice exhaust ‘woof’ as the unburnt fuel rolls out the back in a big glob. And with the top down it sounds even better. That's the sort of ludicrous and juvenile behaviour you tend to get up to in this car. And instead of passersby scowling, they look up, smile and wave.I'd still like a little more give in the suspension. It's just so uncomfortable. I swear you could drive across a manhole cover and read the words imprinted on it. Torque steer, bump steer, scuttle shake, rattle and roll, it's got it all. But it’s still fun. It's no surprise that Hertz calls the Mini convertible as 'The Hawaiian shirt of rental cars'. The JCW version adds GT stripes to that shirt.Mini John Cooper Works CabrioPRICE: from $56,900ENGINE: 4-cylinder/16 valve, with twin-scroll Turbocharger, 1598ccPOWER: 155Kw @ 6000rpmTORQUE: 260Nm from 1850-5600rpm (280Nm from 2000-5300rpm with overboost)ACCELERATION: 0-100 km/h in 6.9secECONOMY: 7.1L/100km (combined)TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual

Blank switch covers on the dashboard of a new car say something about the owner. It says: You are a cheapskate. You couldn't afford to buy the extras that come with the switches to fill these holes. So for the life of your car, they stare blankly back at every occupant and silently scream ‘cheapskate’.Thankfully, there are ways to fill ugly and embarrassing blanks in a new car's dashboard. Mini has found the ideal fitment to its Cabrio S Chilli, a model that frustratingly spent some time in my hands getting wet in a few days of winter rain.It is the ‘absolutely unique Always-Open Timer’. In plain English, it tells you how long the roof has been open and so important is this device that it sits big and proud alongside the tachometer. Why? Because, Mini says, ‘this unprecedented instrument shows the driver and passengers the time they have spent driving with the roof down, motivating the driver to really enjoy the thrill of open-air motoring as frequently as possible’.There are SO many things I want to say about this, but I'm going to be kind and just suggest that blank switch covers would actually be better looking, cheaper and serve a greater function.Drivetrain On a kinder note, the Mini Cabrio S is a gem. It's all to do with the bright, lively and even fuel-miserly 1.6-litre 4-cylinder, turbocharged engine that constantly lures the driver to revel in its prodigious torque and sweet nigh-revving exhaust note. The transmission is a six-speed manual — though an auto is available — which is equally as delightful and a joy to stir.The engine, also used by Peugeot in its 207 model, has already been voted as one of the world's best and for very good reason. If it has a fault it lies in the noise generated by the driver's active right foot.Body and space Don't think that the Mini is a small car. It's a scale model of the original 1960s creation but has been super-sized so it has proportions close to the Golf or Corolla hatch. That indicates room for four but in effect is a 2+2 with the children allocated in the diminutive, yet beautifully crafted, rear seats.The Cabrio gets a fabric roof with electric drive and includes a clever ‘targa-style’ setting that opens just the section above the front occupants' heads. Better is that this function can be opened and closed at speeds up to 30km/h. If the weather is inclement — as it was for the majority of this test — then Mini this year provides climate airconditioning as standard.For protection in a roll-over, there is a single-piece rollbar behind the rear seats that arises automatically in 150 milliseconds. I doubt if you'd need this. The Mini Cabrio — tested in its S Chilli version which adds more features plus the turbocharged engine — hangs on like a limit through the bends.Driving This is really one of the best fun cars — along with the Mazda MX-5 which incidentally is its biggest rival — on the market.The short wheelbase, wide track and sharp steering ratio make it go-kart accurate and with the ability to change its line through the corner. But the ride on the run-flat tyres is firm and sometimes harsh and usually noisy. It works well, however, on smooth bitumen. The Mini Cabrio S Chilli is a great package — at least from a drivetrain point of view.But the Mini demands sympathetic and well-heeled buyers. These are people who can live with its small cabin, hodge-podge switch and gauge placement and the unconventional placement of the windscreen somewhere near the headlights.It would never win any aesthetic prize. Like the original Mini, the speedo is a huge dinner plate disc in the centre of the dash. It is within easy view of any occupant and can become an issue if you pick a pedantic passenger. Toggle switches are placed — predominantly — in the centre of the dash and can be awkward to quickly locate.Then there's the stupid ignition key that has to slide into position one-way up and then a starter button has to be pressed. Too fussy! But I'm probably being too fussy myself. This is a style car and the function may be less important to its buyers.PricingIt's not cheap. Prices for the Cabrios start at a reasonable $39,800 but you have to fill in the blank dashboard panels so the option list can get a healthy work out. As tested, the car was $51,600. That includes the Always-Open Timer that told me the brief time spent with my head in the fresh air cost $2345.45 a minute. And that's a figure any owner would not want to gauge.Mini Cooper S Cabrio Chilli Price: $51,600Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cylinder, turbochargedPower: 128kW @ 5500rpmTorque: 240Nm @ 1600-5000rpmPerformance: 0-100km/h: 7.1 secondsFuel economy (official): 7.2 litres/100km, (tested): 8.4 litres/100kmEmissions: 171g/km (Corolla: 175g/km)Transmission: 6-speed manual; front-driveVerdict: 85/100Rivals: Audi A3 Cabriolet 1.6 ($43,900) — 87/100Mazda MX-5 ($43,850) — 92/100Lotus Elise 1.8S ($69,990) — 91/100BMW 120i Convertible ($52,900) — 88/100

The smile-inducing droptop version of the upgraded Mini will go on sale later this month boasting lower fuel use, better outputs and lower emissions.The Mini icon — celebrating 50 years this year — is offering the new Cabrio as a Cooper and Cooper S straight off the bat, with the Chilli option pack available in both variants.Starting price for the new droptop is $39,800 for the Cooper, an increase of $2300 over the outgoing model.The top end Cooper S model rises by $1500 to be priced from $48,000; an automatic transmission adds $2350 to the bottom line and the Chilli pack another $3600.Tick a few option boxes and the pricetag quickly rises to more than $60,000 — a lot of money for a little sporty.The Bluetooth/USB connection will add $750, or $1470 if you want it integrated into the armrest.Leather trim, depending on the original model, adds between $1460 and $2950.Mini national manager Justin Hocevar says the new Mini Cabrio is the only premium cabrio in its segment will continue to deliver typical Mini driving pleasure, borrowing a trademark phrase from its BMW parent.“Compared with their predecessors both the new Cooper Cabrio and the new Cooper S Cabrio offer better performance on substantially less fuel and with much lower emissions,” he says.The new Cabrio has attempted to address some of the criticisms levelled at its predecessor, with the rear passengers protected in a rollover by a pop-up roll-hoop system that deploys in 150 milliseconds.The previous model's fixed rollhoops impeded rear vision for the driver, something that has been remedied to some extent by the new set-up, but the large blind spots at the rear corners remain, making car park manoeuvres still something of a mystery.The pop-up roll-hoop system also allows the new Cabrio an extra five litres of boot space, with better access thanks to an Easy-Load expandable aperture for the boot. With the roof down the boot space is 125 litres (up five), rising to 170 litres when the roof is up and 660 litres with the rear seat folded down.Even with the top — which is available in black, brown or a denim colour, depending on paint colour — down, there are still some rearward vision restrictions, as the folded roof can obscure the view of traffic behind, no mean feat given the low ride of the Cabrio.Mini is also claiming an increase in body stiffness — thanks predominantly to reinforced side-sills — of 10 per cent, with a weight reduction of 10kg.Fuel consumption has also been cut — by 16 per cent in the Cooper to 6.1l/100km and 18 per cent in the Cooper S, down to 7.2l/100km, coincidentally the number achieved on the launch drive program south-west of Melbourne.One the sillier gauges — right up there with the economy gauge in an old Commodore or the "accurate" boost pressure gauges on some turbos — is the "Always Open Timer" tacked on to the left-hand side of the tachometer.Supposedly a fun feature and a non-negotiable part of the Chilli pack, it displays how much time you've spent driving with the roof down, but all it really does with any degree of function is block one of the air vents.The roof mechanism takes 15 seconds and can be operated up to 30km/h, with the additional flexibility of lifting the forward section of the roof, offering targa-top style driving without exposing the back seats, but aerodynamics make sure there's plenty of wind in the hair regardless of t-top or fully-dropped roof mode.The company expects the Cooper S to represent around 55 per cent of the new Cabrio's sales, with the Cooper more likely to be bought with a six-speed automatic.The Chilli pack ups the wheel size for either model (16in on the Cooper and 17 on the S), as well as adding cloth/leather trim, upgrading the sound system and adding Xenon headlights on Cooper S — the sales boffins say the take up of Chilli is around 60 per cent. DrivingThe only model driven on the launch was the Cooper S Chilli manual and immediately the turbo powerplant made its presence felt with braps, rumbles, snuffles and pops on the down-change, with an almost immediate surge from just about anywhere in the rev range.Rear seat room behind a 190cm-plus driver and passenger is minimal but tall occupants can accommodate limbs easily for a decent driving position.Rear vision is still an issue but otherwise the fun drive experience of previous BMW-built Minis remains — flat, grippy handling with plenty of driver smiles.The turbocharged powerplant does its best to make the front wheels squirm and will succeed under hard acceleration from slow corners, prompting the (standard range-wide) stability control into action.The gearchange is slick and reasonably sharp, although it's not difficult to push too far across into the realm of reverse — but most of the time the gearbox and well-placed pedals made for an entertaining drive.The pricetag looks impressive but the segment has a few droptops that offer more space and metal for the money, but putting a price on the go-kart handling and the fun drive experience is difficult ... that's what the company will count on.Price: from $39,800.Engine: 1.6-litre 16-valve four-cylinder; S — 1.6-litre 16-valve direct-injection twin-scroll turbocharged four-cylinder.Transmission: six-speed manual or automatic, front-wheel drive.Power: 88kW @ 6000rpm; 128kW @ 5500rpm.Torque: 160Nm @ 4250rpm; 240Nm (260Nm on overboost) from 1600 to 5000rpm.Performance: 0-100km/h 9.8 seconds (S 7.4). Top speed 198km/h (S- 222km/h).Fuel consumption: 6.1litres/100km (S — 7.2), tank 40litres (S — 50).Emissions: 145g/km (S — 171).In its class:Holden Astra Twin Top, from $45,790.Ford Focus Cabriolet, from $45,490.Peugeot 207CC, from $34,990.Renault Megane Coupe-Cabriolet, from $44,990.

Some would say it's a brave move to launch a new car which makes an extroverted statement about success and a carefree lifestyle as the world reels from the numbing chill of recession.New car sales worldwide are plummeting but BMW's Mini moment in the sun has arrived.It already had its second generation, oh-so-cool convertible locked into production well before the economic crisis loomed and now it seems there could be a ray of sunshine for Mini amongst the gloom and doom.Its seemingly less than perfect timing could work in its favour with the new cabrio likely to appeal to buyers downsizing from more expensive or less efficient models.An upbeat head of Mini's marketing communications Andreas Hofmann says the Mini's enviable appeal as a fun car and its reputation for fuel efficiency were strong selling points."Our timing (in launching the new Mini convertible) will work in our favour. Buyers are downsizing and that will be a bonus for us, especially in the United Sates and even in Australia,” Hofmann said at the launch of the Mini cabrio in Austria."Even in this climate if a product is right, it will sell," he said.Australia gets the new soft top in Cooper and more potent Cooper S guise in April. It picks up all the styling and mechanical changes introduced in the hatch two years ago, including the 1.6-litre petrol four cylinder motor. In the Cooper S there's been a switch to a twin-scroll turbocharged engine instead of the old supercharged motor. Diesel, too, is under consideration and will probably come later in the year.So it is largely a good news story for the new Mini: it's greener, more frugal, and the cabriolet addresses most of the styling negatives associated with the old version.That puts Mini in a good position to take the fight for sales up to rivals like the Audi A3, Peugeot 207, VW Eos, Mazda MX5 and Holden's Astra. You can also add Fiat's 500 convertible which will be launched in Europe in May.ON THE ROADWho said the Germans don't have a sense of humour?Who else would launch a convertible in Austria as Europe struggles through one of its bleakest winters in living memory. While Australia struggled with heat waves, in the foothills of the Austrian Alps the temperature struggling to get to zero, snow sat a metre deep on the roadside and houses were half hidden under white blankets.There were plenty of puzzled looks from the Austrians, swathed in layers of winter coats, pondering why these strange tourists were driving with the roof down. But Mini reckons there's no reason why you can't drive a cabrio in all seasons and they are right.Certainly the provided thermal jackets, combined with the Mini's new automatic airconditioning system, did the job at keeping frostbite at bay.You certainly don't buy a cabrio to be practical, but this one packs plenty of appeal and some gimmicks.Mini, a brand which likes to be off centre, has blessed the motoring world with a new term, the Always Open Timer, which was quickly dubbed the openonameter.This supposedly clever little dashboard display keeps track of how many hours you have driven topless. Why? Beats me, but it's a great conversation opener.Mini says it "encourages open air motoring." I thought that's the very reason you buy a cabrio in the first place. So now you can have a dashboard display to make you feel good.The neatly designed powered roof opens in 15 seconds flat. It's not the fastest in the business but it can be done at speeds up to 30km/h so you can impress your passengers or fellow road users with Mini's card folding trick on the run.You can also slide the leading edge back to create a sunroof. The top folds down onto the boot lid. It looks neater than before but there's no room for it to disappear completely.The pair of rollover hoops in the old model, which blocked the rear view, have been replaced with a single pop up bar which is far neater affair. The rear window doesn't have wiper so on wet days or in snow you have to rely on your door mirrors. This Mini suffers the same fate as most convertibles in that rear quarter visibility is still minimal thanks to the chunky design of the soft top.The back seat looks purpose built for kids, not adults, but Mini has done a good job in maximising luggage space, albeit you can only get a couple of small suitcases in there, but you can access the rear seat which splits and folds.Under the bonnet, the 1.6-litre four cylinder in the base Cooper model is good for 88kW and 160 Nm of torque. It's no rocket, but the Mini has impressive fuel consumption on its side.The Cooper S is a delightfully different beast and you can pick it from a distance because of the power bulge on the bonnet. It offers added spice with 128kW and 240Nm but uses more fuel. Acceleration off the line takes a claimed 7.4 seconds to get to 100km/h; the base Cooper does it in a leisurely 9.8 seconds.Fuel consumption is rated at 6.1l/100km in the Cooper and 7.2l/100km for the Cooper S but the best we could do was 9l.100km on icy roads.We only drove the Cooper S version which showed little evidence that the extra 100kg the electric soft top adds hampered performance. It may be a different story in the non-turbo version. Nor did we see any evidence of scuttle shake which the previous model suffered from.The Cooper S's ride remains firm to the point of being uncomfortable, especially on broken surfaces, thanks to its larger wheels, run-flat rubber and sporty suspension set up.But it makes up for the hard ride with its reassuring grip and balanced handling, especially in tight twisty roads where there are constant changes of direction.Our six-speed manual test car came equipped with Mini's new stop start system which switches the engine off automatically when stopped to save fuel. Depressing the clutch fires up the engine again. It's a feature we will soon see in Australia on the Mini diesel hatch, but Mini is expected to introduce it on the petrol cabrio next year.Cabrio pricing is expected to rise between 3 and 5 per cent over the outgoing model, which would position the Cooper at just under $39,000 and the Cooper S at under $48,000. You do get some extra equipment like automatic air conditioning, Bluetooth connectivity and USB port for MP3 players to offset the price rise.The cabrio has all the traditional Mini DNA: sharp steering, poise and from the turbo, plenty of punch. Our drive in Austria proved this week, there's nothing chilling or numbing about the Mini's appeal.Price: Not finalised but expect the Cooper to sell for just under $39,000 and the Cooper S for about $48,000. SnapshotBMW Mini convertibleOn sale: AprilEngines: Cooper: Four cylinder, 1.6 litre naturally aspirated, 88kW at 6000rpm; 160Nm at 4250. CO2: 145g/km; Cooper S 171g/kmCooper S: 1.6-litre twin scroll turbocharged, 128kW at 5500rpm; 240Nm at 1600rpm (can be briefly boosted to 260Nm under full throttle).Performance: Cooper, 0-100km/h 9.8 seconds (manual) 11.1s (auto). Cooper S 7.4s (manual) 7.7s (automatic)Transmission: Six-speed manual or automatic optionalEconomy: Cooper, 6.1/l100km; Cooper S, 7.2l/100km. As tested (Cooper S): 9l/100km to 11l/100km depending on road conditions.

The Mini is an iconic car that has holds huge appeal for both young and old alike and the cabrio version of the car should make many new friends.Mini Cooper Cabrio is priced from $35,900.The 1.6-litre four cylinder engine generates 85kW of power at 6000rpm and maximum torque of 150Nm 4500rpm. It is a willing worker but labours under the load down low.A five-speed manual is standard but our test car was fitted with the CVT auto. You get the option of D, Sport D or changing gears like a manual, either with the gearshift or with steering wheel mounted change paddles.The transmission makes the most of the smallish engine and the result is lively performance, provided you keep up the revs. But there's a bit of a lull before it gets going off the line.Like its hard topped sibling, the Mini Cabrio handles like a go-kart. Add in stability and traction control and this is one very stable motor car.We found the steering wheel change paddles easy to use, but the traditional gear shift was stiff during manual operation. You can flick seamlessly between the two and the transmission changes up automatically before redline is reached.The fabric covered roof is a snap to operate. There's no catches to release, just push the button and down it comes. Four buttons are located above the rear vision mirror, two for opening and closing the roof, the other two for operating the windows.The roof can also be operated from the remote and has a sunroof option which allows it to be opened halfway, providing a large 400mm opening. This can be done on the move up to a speed of 120km/h.Vision with the top up is limited, especially towards the rear. There's no B pillar but the C pillar more than makes up for this with a small rear window albeit a glass one. Add in some rain and changing lanes can be a bit of a lottery.In terms of parking, it's a good thing then that all versions of the cabrio get a parking distance sensor as standard.If you prefer travelling with the roof up, and most people who own a convertible would rather die than do so, airconditioning is also standard.Safety stuff includes ABS, Cornering Brake Control (CBC) and Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), as well as a strengthened bodyshell that incorporates strong tubes in- serted into the A pillars and dual rollover hoops with integrated headrests behind the two rear seats.Not much room in the back seat nor in the boot for that matter, so this could be a consideration if size matters.Although it takes premium unleaded, the Mini is a light sipper.

Sometimes it's a smiling sunshine hoot, sometimes it's a screaming supercharger hoot and sometimes it's a grip-and-go cornering hoot. There are times when it's all three.That's because the newest Mini is a convertible, a supercharged hot hatch and a baby luxury car. All for one and one for all.It comes towards the end of the first built-by-BMW Mini's lifecycle, with development of a second-generation car at full speed in Europe.To give the test car its full name, and please take a breath now to get through it in one go, it's the Mini Cooper S Cabrio with John Cooper Works Tuning Kit.What that means is it's the combination of the new Mini Cabrio with the power-up kit developed by the same Cooper-family company that did the fast-car fix-up on the original Mini in the 1960s.It means a $54,750 price and a list of special equipment that runs from the Cooper Works engine bits to rear-parking radar and a full leather cabin.The S Works Cabrio is the all-for-one car that puts the best of everything into the one package.The Works kit means 154kW from a supercharged engine that powers the car to 100km/h in less than seven seconds, and the Cabrio kit makes the Mini into a worthwhile four-seat convertible.The car's roof is essentially an electric folding cloth top. But there is much more to it.The conversion has been done without losing the benefit of rear rollover bars and a heated glass rear window.It has a fully automatic control system that can even be operated with the remote keyfob.It also doubles as a targa top with a sliding front sunroof panel.The marketing team at BMW, which has a great grip on what's best in the trend business, also ensured the Cabrio comes in all the right colours, with three choices for the roof fabric, and a wide range of optional equipment.Still, the basics are all you expect, including CD sound and leather trim, electric mirrors and air-con.The roof is operated from two switches at the top of the windscreen support. One allows all four side windows to be tucked away for a clean look.The John Cooper Works kit does the job in the engine bay with bigger fuel injectors and special engine calibration, modified valves, a stainless exhaust, uprated supercharger, modified cylinder head and a special air-filter housing.There is a discreet badge below the grille to tell people what is closing from behind, and one on the back.The Mini Cabrio goes up against all sorts of rivals, from the classic two-seat Mazda MX-5 featured in this week's middle pages to the metal-roof Renault Megane and Peugeot 307 coupe-convertibles.The VW Beetle Cabrio is in there too, in a droptop class that is growing all the time and even includes a value-added new Saab 9-3 convertible in the $60,000 range.ON THE ROADTHE S Works Cabrio is a ripper of a car. It's not for everyone, with an engine that screams and howls and pops, but the people who like it will really like it.It's also very hard to park, has a tiny boot, can be a bugger to contain and could be a long-term problem with so much mechanical and electrical complexity in the Cabrio system.But who cares when the top is down and you are sprinting into the sunshine?The driving enjoyment in the Cabrio Works is right up with the MX-5 and way beyond the thrills you get in a Megane or 307CC. The Beetle Cabrio barely moves the meter.The Cabrio Works' price is pretty meaty even without dipping into the extras list, and beyond its obvious rivals, but this is a car with extra appeal.It is nice just to fold the roof flat for a quiet sunset cruise, because the Mini is refined, comfortable and easy to use.Back-seat space isn't huge, but you can happily take friends along.The Cabrio is nicely quiet at all times, top up and top down, and the system works well. One button, no fuss.Some people would prefer a folding metal roof, but the Mini system is a good design.And we really like the sliding front panel, which gives you extra air and sunshine even if you don't want the full Cabrio experience.The quality seems a little better than that of earlier Minis we drove, without the driver's seat squeak that was so annoying at first, and we're still taken with the funky dashboard.The boot is a pain – even with the fold-flat rear seats – and we found it difficult to back the car with the roof up, and not much better with it down, because of the giant rollbars.But the John Cooper Works kit more than compensates, even if the fitted price puts $9850 on a Mini.It transforms the car into one capable of beating V8s away from the lights and really moving along a twisty road. But it's the way it does it, with excellent bottom-end pull and a surge all the way to the redline, that's so impressive.The hi-tech engine upgrade is well matched to a car with great grip and brakes, even if the steering wheel does jerk around in your hands if you push on broken surfaces.The six-speed manual works well, the steering has good feel, and the sporty suspension still copes with bumps.THE BOTTOM LINETHE S Works Cabrio is just the thing to have in Melbourne in GP week. It's great for a posing cruise but can still light up and go. It's a memorable car that should appeal to a lot of people who want something special that's more than a convertible.

Knock the roof off but don't ever forget that you are on show to the world. Everybody – and that includes bike messengers – will be looking down on you, most with a degree of envy.And well may they be envious ... as long as you are the one gripping the fat little steering wheel there is little reason not to smile in one of these.At $44,900 the Mini Cooper S Cabrio is no steal. However, what price can you put on the sort of warm-and-fuzzy feelings that seem to accompany it? For basic, hands-on accounting purposes, the Cabrio brings everything to the table that the hardtop does – all the go-kart dynamics, great looks and stylish, modern interior fittings.As with its enclosed bretheren, the Cabrio offers a full suit of "personalisation" options running from a full John Cooper Works tuning kit – upgraded to produce a spanking 154kW Cooper S at $9850 – through to bonnet stripes and Xenon headlights.There are also rain sensor wipers, satellite navigation, automatic airconditioning, a range of 17- and 18-inch light alloy rims, a high-spec Harman/Kardan sound system with eight speakers, a wind deflector and more. There is also the choice of three colours – black, green and blue – to coordinate the cloth roof with 12 body colours.The folding roof is fully automatic and will drop in just 15 seconds either from a button inside the car or from outside, using the remote key fob. A feature of the soft-top is a two-stage deployment, which Mini calls the "integrated sunroof". This initial slide creates a targa effect, where half the roof is activated for the first stage of opening. It can be deployed at up to 120km/h.For a single-layer roof the Cabrio's cloth top is benchmark. Wind noise is at a minimum, the fit is drum tight and there was no noticeable stretch or drumming.Knock the roof off and there is no danger of losing the toupee with buffetting – at least in the front seats – kept to a minimum by a combination of the upright windscreen and wind deflector.The 125kW engine is a little beauty and coupled to the same compact six-speed Getrag manual as the hard-top it offers as enthusiastic a drive as you could want.Mechanically the main difference between Cabrio and the hard-top is in the suspension with the settings having been shifted down a notch towards a softer ride. The Cooper S has a sport setting – sport-plus in the hard-top – in deference to the Cabrio's differing demographic of buyer.Without driving the two cars back-to-back it is difficult to differentiate between the settings, particularly as the Cabrio has been stiffened through the A-Pillar and along the bottom rails of the cabin section.There is also additional bracing under the seats and through the use of the aluminium cross-brace which doubles as the rear roll-over loop.It all goes towards keeping the Cabrio scuttle-shake free and feeling almost as tight as a roofed version – although more nervous over corrugations or broken surfaces.Safety features include four airbags. The seat-mounted side bags extend higher in the Cabrio to offer head protection in lieu of the hard-top's curtain bags.Rear seating is tight. Space has been squeezed to accommodate the mechanism for the folding roof and worse still, the seat is set so that passengers are forced to sit at an awkward angle. There is also limited opportunity for luggage storage.