New Mini roadster stays the course
THE rain is biblical. At times the water flying from the tyres underneath the new Mini Roadster I’m in is almost all I can hear. Mini’s communications people are putting a brave face on it, but launching a roadster in such appalling weather is always disappointing. We don’t get to see too much of the beautiful Cotswolds landscape and certainly very little with the roof down and with the wind in our hair.
Mini has cars like Mazda’s million-selling MX-5 in its sights with its new Roadster. From a performance perspective, the rear-wheel drive MX-5 will still attract the purists but the Mini Roadster is a worthy alternative. We drive the Cooper S version, with its 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine and the Cooper SD with its 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine, though Mini will also be selling the entry-level Cooper and flagship John Cooper Works models.
Gone is the controversial roof design of the Coupe, replaced instead by a conventional-looking ragtop. Somehow the less fussy and more predictable styling suits the car better. The look-at-me looks of the Coupe have been replaced with a more dependable look, which – happily – delivers exactly what it says on the tin.
The Mini Roadster feels quite traditional. The roof has to be manually unlocked – with a pull and a twist of a handle – then pushed upwards before lowering “automatically”. It all feels a little old-fashioned, even a bit twee, showing just how quickly we’ve become accustomed to completely automatic roofs.
The rest of the exterior is predictably Mini, so won’t surprise anyone familiar with the brand. The rear spoiler, though, is worth a mention. It lifts up automatically at 50mph (it lowers again at 37mph) but can be raised manually using a button at the top of the windscreen. I get a kick out of watching it lift and lower through the small rear window. Inside the interior is dominated by the oversized speedo and has the familiar toggle switches in the centre console and rev counter behind the steering wheel – just as you’d expect.
Both cars are very similar in terms of character and performance, but I think the petrol version just pips the diesel for enjoyment value. On paper the 184hp Cooper S is a second quicker than the Cooper SD with a 0-62mph time of 7.0 seconds (the 143hp SD makes it in 8.1 seconds) although because the diesel SD pulls so well it doesn’t feel like a much slower car. But it is the high-revving engine of the petrol model with its popping exhaust during engine overrun – when you lift your foot off the accelerator pedal – that really adds some character. It’s almost as if this eager little car is egging you on through the bends and it feels quick and responsive and the handing is good. The Mini Roadster is flat through the corners, although the ride can get a bit bumpy on uneven roads. A Sport button is available to liven things up further, which sharpens the throttle and adds weight to the steering.
Shifting the six-speed manual transmission is easy and even out in such atrocious weather the car inspired confidence, though with the roof up there is some wind noise as it’s made of fabric. Roof down there was some shuddering through the windscreen, though Mini has stiffened the chassis to counter this somewhat.
Mini makes quite a big deal about the Roadster’s boot, which at 240-litres is larger than that in the regular Mini. If you have a very simple life or the budget for a second car then the new Mini Roadster could be a tempting option. It’s solidly built and is unlikely to disappoint you performance-wise. It may not be quite as good as the Coupe and seems a little eccentric when compared to some rivals. But it’s a car for hedonists and what can be wrong with that?
THE FACTS: MINI ROADSTER COOPER S
PRICE: £20,900
0-62MPH: 7.0sec
TOP SPEED: 141mph
CO2 G/KM: 139g/km
MPG COMBINED: 47.1mpg
The VERDICT:
DESIGN ****
PERFORMANCE ****
PRACTICALITY ***
VALUE FOR MONEY ***