Did you feel it? That frisson of chill in the air a couple of weeks back. OK, it lasted no more than a day or so, but I swear the temps plummeted to maybe 88. Down from the usual cauldron-like108.
Oh, and that breeze, wafting in from the north. Just heaven. It was enough to have ABC Action News’ Denis Phillips twanging his suspenders with glee.
For us heat-suffering Floridians, it was a hint that fall just might be around the corner. I have my fingers poised to turn up the a/c.
For me, there was an extra dose of cool-air delight as, arriving for test just in time for the big chill, was Mini’s newest Cooper S Convertible, a $40,000 bundle of wind-in-your-follicles fun, all ready for a frolic to the beach.
I love Minis. Love their mini-me size. Love their go-kart driving feel and roller-skate stance. And, as a fully paid-up Brit, I naturally love their Merrie Olde England accoutrements, like the Union Jack canvas top and Union Jack rear lights.
As that shag-a-delic superhero Austin Powers would say, Yeah Baby!
For 2025, Mini designers have given the super-Cooper a subtle refresh. Exterior-wise, they re-jigged the octagonal grille, gave it new headlights with LED crossbars, and a new bumper to add a cleaner, more modern look.
What hasn’t changed is the folding convertible top. As before, it retracts in two stages. The first part is like a sunroof adding sun and breeze to those up front. Keep the switch pressed and the top drops in a mere 18 seconds, and at speeds up to 19 mph. It closes in just 15.
Top down, with all four side windows raised, there’s suprisingly little wind buffeting. But lower the windows and 75 mph on I-75 however feels a little like standing behind a 747 on take-off.
My only complaint is that the switch to work the top sits high up near the top of the windshield. By the end of those 18 seconds, blood would drain from my right arm and rigamortis set in.
But going topless is still the true joy of Mini Convertible ownership. A cruise along Tampa’s Bayshore, crossing the Gandy Bridge, posing along downtown St. Pete’s Beach Drive. Such fun.
For 2025, the MIni Convertible comes in three flavors, each one delicious in its own way.
The base Cooper comes with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo cranking out an okay 161 horseys and 184 lb-ft of torque. Pricing starts at a excellent $33,950 (plus $995 destination).
Our Cooper S is next up, equipped with a more feisty 201 hp and 221 torques version of the turbo-4. Pricing here starts at $37,900. With a few option, like a thumping Harman Kardon stereo and that Union Jack-stitched top, think closer to $43,000.
For more enthusiastic Mini pilots, there’s the JCW, short for John Cooper Works and named after the famed British Mini tuner. It packs a 228-hp punch with 280 lb-ft of torque on tap, for more spirited performance. That one will cost you $44,600 and up.
The best all-rounder to me, is our Cooper S Convertible which feels plenty lively, with 0-to-60 mph sprinting in 6.7 seconds coupled with 36-to-the-gallon highway fuel economy.
Like all Minis, it has the kind of laser-precise steering that feels hard-wired to your gray matter. Just think about turning into a curve and it’ll sweep round like it’s running on invisible rails.
All Minis come with a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic which shifts with the smoothness of liquid Teflon. But there are still no paddle shifters on offer to add to the driving fun – a serious omission.
Inside, the re-jigged cabin is as quirky and as much fun as ever. The big, round, pizza-sized instrument display is back, but with new, razor-sharp graphics and cool lighting. A funky new dash covering too, upholstered in houndstooth cloth.
And, as before, there’s seating for four, though those rear seats are best used for short hops. And, as before, the trunk is teeny.
But with fewer and fewer affordable convertibles being offered, the Mini Convertible is a true gem. Consider one now – trust me, fall is on the way.
