The Mini Cooper S Convertible Review.

Tiny is cute, especially when we are talking about the MINI Cooper S Convertible. This pocket rocket continues to evolve and like those of us at Napleton News, still manages to defy description. Go ahead, we dare you, but in the meantime, hop in while we tell you about our week with the Mini Cooper S!

What’s so special about the MINI Cooper S Convertible?

Well, to start, it’s cute. Did we mention that C-word already? Oh yes, we did. Still, it’s a car that seems to naturally put you into a good mood, regardless of how you are feeling.

Under the hood, the MINI Cooper S Convertible is motivated by a 2.0-liter turbocharged and intercooled four-cylinder engine. Delivering 201 horsepower, and 221 lb-ft of torque, this front-driver is matched to a seven-speed auto-shift manual transmission. Zero-to-60 ticks off at around 6-plus seconds, which is quite spritely when you think of it! Fed by gasoline direct-injection, (GDI) it is quite efficient.

Buyers can have a choice of body styles with the Mini Cooper S. The lineup begins with the familiar hardtop two door, followed by a hardtop four-door model. The top of the mountain brings this convertible two-door, which gives up some rear cargo space for open-top-down fun in the sun. Speaking of the roof (well, we kind of were) ours had a black on black imprint of the UK’s Union Jack on the roof, cementing its UK roots.

The MINI Cooper family underwent a recent restyling.

How about inside the MINI Cooper S Convertible?

The interior of the MINI Cooper S has always been clean and devoid of frou-frou and tchotchkes, with one exception. We’ll get to that in a second. But the reality is what counts as a dashboard is free of any sort of distractions. Instead, it appears as a matrix-patterned, fabric covered shelf-like structure that lights up at night in a color of your choice.

At the center of the dashboard is a circular LED touchscreen display that offers every feature you will likely need to operate the car. Going through a series of menus can become a bit tedious but after a few times it becomes second nature. To soothe your frustration, the MINI is complete with a Harman/Kardon Surround Sound system.

Mini Modes exist where you can change the interior mood to suit your, er, mood. They vary the lighting appearance inside and allow you to change the lighting as you see fit.

But not all was perfect once we were inside. Every time we turned the car off, it would drop the Bluetooth connection to our iPhone. That required us to pull over and put the car in park in order to re-connect.

Behind the wheel of the MINI Cooper S Convertible.

Getting behind the wheel of a MINI Cooper of any sort is an event waiting to happen. It is even more so in a MINI Cooper S Convertible. Drop the top and head out for some motoring al-fresco style. It even makes driving to the 7-Eleven a memorable event.

A “perma-key” is located under the OLED display. It remains here while the key fob is in your pocket or purse. A gear selector toggle is located to the left of the “igniter.” Flip it up to reverse the MINI. Flip it down and you are on your way.

Acceleration from the Cooper S’s 2.0-liter is quite spritely considering it’s only pumping out 201 hp. Chalk that up to the MINI’s light curb weight. We’re zipping along with the wind in our hair, and feeling like we are in an overgrown go-kart. It really feels like that. Whip to the right and you’ll feel the Cooper S wants to hunker down as it rounds the apex. Whip to the left for that tummy tickle feeling you get as you go over a bump in the road. Either way, there is no feeling like it.

The MINI displays good road manners with the ability to perform lane changes simply by thinking about them.

Now that would be the ultimate in autopilot technology!

MINI Cooper S Convertible Specifications