Oh dear, BMW, who the hell are you kidding? Apparently, the nippy new MINI John Cooper Works Convertible is being classed as a ‘small premium cabriolet’. Oh puhhhlease. Granted, it’ll hit 62 in 6.9 – but ‘small premium’? These car classifications just get stranger.
Anyway, the new ragtop has the same engine as the John Cooper works hatch, with a 1.6 litre turbocharged engine producing 211 horsepower and a very decent 280Nm of torque with overboost.
Perhaps this is what they were talking about when they go on about premium – the standard car comes with alcantara steering wheel, sport seats, floor mats and an extremely classy piano black interior. You’ll like the lightweight alloys – though they are probably the coolest part of the car.
Granted, the MINI isn’t all cutesy. It does have a serious new technological drive system in the form of the EDLC – electronic differential lock control. Effectively, this system slows down the inside wheel when you’re powering out of a corner. Don’t believe the hype though, this is not the hugely clever control found in the Evo X. However, the engine will rarely overpower the chassis so keen drivers will have a whale of a time.
I’ll probably never own a MINI, but you can certainly see why people would want one – especially something so incredibly cool as this. Retro remains the new cool.
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