New Mini convertible -- more dash for more cash
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What happened to the roll hoops? This is the all-new 2009 Mini Cooper convertible. Here’s what BMW, the car’s maker, has to say about it: ‘Evolutionary development of the car’s design ... cues clearly link the new convertible to the Mini family.’ Which is PR-speak for not having changed things very much. Except that a rollover protection bar has been cleverly concealed behind the rear seats and will pop up when the onboard computer senses things going seriously awry.
The car also has an ‘Openometer’ that records time spent traveling with the electrohydraulically actuated top down. Thank goodness, as it’s always a worry that manufacturers might start adding useless things to successive generations. Of slightly more importance is the engine. It’s a 1.6-liter four that kicks out 118 horsepower in the basic Cooper (up from 115) and uses a turbocharger in the Cooper S version to produce 172 hp (up from 168).
Whereas more power and a tidier rear might be the good news, the price is something else. The Cooper version starts at $24,550 and the Cooper S at $27,450 (both figures include $650 destination and handling charges). Compare that with $19,837 and $22,942 respectively. Then again, the new model is stronger yet lighter (by 22 pounds) and has a little more cargo space. And aren’t those wheels cool?
-- Colin Ryan