As we all know that the brand MINI was well known for making sporty little hatchbacks from the beginning, they’ve now come up with something new. A convertible. And here is fìve reasons to why we think a MINI convertible is worth your money and the fact that there are only 20 units available means you do not have the luxury of time.
Unique design language.
When it comes to being bespoke, the MINI convertible has taken it to a whole new level. Offering nice touches such as the Union Jack stitched into the fabric of the roof to show how MINI preserves their heritage. Moving on to the convertible roof, it works in a way where the top opens automatically within a timeframe of 18 seconds despite the car touching speeds of 30km/h which is pretty quick. Now it does not stop here, the roof is designed in such a way where it can be open in three different positions to enable the breeze to come in. When we move to the lights, we get a new techy design that are fully functional as it powered by a BI-LEDs. The taillights on the otherhand, we get another Union Jack design that is framed around chrome to make it look more sophisticated. Not to forget the new 17 inch rims with a new Rail Spoke design that helps compliment the run flat tyres.
Engine, gearbox and driving effeciency.
Offering a 2.0l 4 cylinder MINI TwinPower Turbo engine, that makes out 192bhp and 280nms of torque, this is definitely more than enough. Bearing in mind that this car does the century sprint in 7.1 seconds while doing 230km/h flat out. As we move to the gearbox, we get a 7 speed Steptronic sports automatic transmission with a precisely tuned electronic system that makes sure the shifting feels seamless. The MINI comes with three driving modes that helps the driver optimise his/her driving condition. Starting off with the Green Mode that helps out with the fuel effeciency, then we move to the Sports mode that gives off a more responsive steering with a sharper throttle response. And lastly, there’s a Mid mode that keeps the car both exciting yet fuel effecient at the same time. Regardless the fact that the new MINI convertible has a combined fuel effeciency of 5.7L per 100km when maxed out, we can definitely use the Green mode in case of a traffic jam.
The interior
As we take a step inside the MINI, we’re greeted with an interior of Chester leather with diamond stitching. The leather does not just stop at the seats, it extends all the way to the door armrests aswell as the knee rolls. Moving onto the illuminated interior surface, the owner gets 12 different options of colors to illuminate the Union Jack design. The MINI yours individual selection also chooses the highest quality selections of materials as it is proven with the new Nappa Leather steering with a hand finished aluminium like stitching. Furthermore, the gearknob has been completely redesigned and is way more easier to operate now.
Safety systems, technology and digital services.
The safety systems in the new MINI convertible has been improved in many ways as the MINI now comes with a new rollover protection system that ensures the passengers safety when the car has been flipped. That aside, the airbags are now equipped at places where the pelvis-thorax area of the front passenger will be completely safe in an event of a crash. When we move to the driving related safety feature, we get a park distance control to aid us safely when parking in tight spaces and of course a Dynamic Traction and Stability control to keep us glued on the road. Now when we delve into the tech side of the MINI, we get a new high resolution 6.5 inch touchscreen display with ready navigation info. The new MINI also comes equipped with MINI Connected system built in with a 4G Sim, this will be very useful when it comes to assisting the driver with its wide range of capabilities such as the TeleServices, Remote Services and many other accessabilities. Adding on, the new Connected App, owners can now enable a personal assistant to pre plan routes via the navigation system.
New options of colors.
The MINI convertible has a few choices here. There is the Chilli Red , Solaris Orange, Starlight Blue, Melting Silver, and the Carribbean Aqua. If you ask us, we’d really recommend you to get the MINI in the Carribbean Aqua, as this color comes really exclusive and it definitely stands out among the rest of the color options.
Conclusion.
At RM279,888, the Mini commands quite the price tag, whichever way you cut it, especially for a 4 cylinder hatch. However since its a limited run of 20 units, with the amount of features it sports, the performance and the fact that its a convertible, we daresay that it makes a decent justification of the price. This one is strictly for the hard core enthusiasts.
-Deva Hariharan Shanker
