2009 MINI Cooper in Duluth

I went to the media introduction of the first-generation Mini Cooper convertible back in May 2004, and I had three lasting impressions: 1) it's a cute car, probably too cute for some, but perfect for any part of the world near a shoreline; 2) it drives very well, with excellent roadholding, steering, and a decent powertrain; 3) the exposed hinges on the rear hatch were unacceptably tacky looking.

Five years later, we have the next-generation Mini Cooper convertible, and it appears that the biggest advance is that the exposed hinges are, thank God, gone. They were really out of place on a modern car, even if Mini designers five years ago insisted that they harkened back to the original Mini. Whatever, I thought.

Anyway, if you like the Mini formula in hardtop form, and I do, you'll like the convertible, also. As convertibles go, it's quite versatile. Push one button at the windshield header, and the fabric roof rolls back about 15 inches, creating what is, in effect, a sunroof. Keep pushing on the button, and the roof rails detach themselves from the windshield header, the fabric keeps rolling backward, and the whole mechanism lifts itself into the sky and then plunks down onto the back of the vehicle. There is some whirring and humming and dinging of chimes, and a little digital graphic of the car with top down appears on the central display behind the steering wheel. Hold down the button long enough, and all four windows also retract. You then look in the rearview and think, hmmm, I did something wrong here, because the folded roof is blocking my view to the rear; surely it will fold down farther, right? So you play with the rocker switch a bit more and end up raising the roof rather than lowering it even farther. You get out, walk to the back of the car, and realize, nope, this is as far as the roof retracts.... Read full article