The New MINI Convertible.

OK, we’ve had a barrage of photos and information to take in already today, so MINI2 thought we’d show you around some of the new and unique details in the official photographs of the MINI Convertible (many of which have already appeared on MINI2, before you’d see them anywhere else), and comment on some of the key new features
of the open top MINI.

Don’t forget, MINI2 will also be at Geneva for the official launch of the MINI Convertible, and are taking requests for questions you want answered in the Convertible forum section of the MINI2 Forums.

The New Grille:

Today’s official photographs show in very good detail the new grille that will adorn the open top MINI as well as (we believe) the revised MINI Cooper that is yet to be officially confirmed. The change is minor, and basically consists of a smooth surround that blends in more elegantly with the body work, and the Cooper and One will share
a three slat top design with the Cooper S and One D models. You will also notice from the image to the top right, the MINI Cooper and One will develop a bit more of a pronounced jaw line, ala Cooper S.

The Headlights:

Once again, we exclusively revealed the new design (albeit in CAD form) on MINI2 some time ago, and here they are in all their “real life” glory. This design is much more up to date than the current configuration, and offers a pleasant, but subtle change from the current MINI line. A nice change we feel.

Lower Front Bumper/Intake/Valance/Trim Detail:

Once again, you saw it here first folks! Or at leas you could have done, but anyway, here is the new “bumper” area of the MINI Cooper Convertible. This model includes the new optional chrome trim around the front fog lamps, and chrome line across the lower intake grille (now black plastic on the Cooper, unlike the current steel mesh).
This is probably the most dramatic visual update to the exterior of the MINI, but it still is relatively minor. As a stand alone design change we at MINI2 think it’s quite nicely done. However, looking at the front apron of the new Mercedes A-Class parked outside makes us wonder if it’s a little unoriginal. Find one and make your own mind up, it might just be us! The chrome rings offer a nice finishing touch, and there’s the small chance that other drivers may mistake them for “James Bond” style rocket launchers, and therefore NOT pull out in front of you or cut you up at junctions when they might otherwise do so.

Colour Coded Wing Mirrors:

What can you say? As seen on our World exclusive Cooper S Convertible spy shots, the Convertible will be fitted with colour coded wing mirrors as standard. A nice edition, and long overdue we feel.

New Rear Light Clusters:

MINI2 regulars will already have seen these in great detail as we exclusively revealed these lights in close up in a previous MINI2 news article. We’re reserving judgment on these lights until we’ve seen them first hand, we’ve heard they look very “deep” and quite dramatic. In the pictures to us they do seem a little more “every other car” than the current “retro” MINI rear lights. We’ll have to wait for March 2nd, and Geneva, before we can really comment.

Boot Hinges:

The MINI Convertible boot opens in a very similar way to the original classic Mini, and as such requires the boot to be hinged at the bottom.
These have also been seen in various spy shots, and frequent visitors to MINI2 will probably not have heard a kind word said about their design.

Rear Valance/Bumper:

It’s nice to see some good quality pictures of the rear trim with the “chrome line” exterior optional chrome accents. It’s also good to see the “beer can” exhaust is still in place,
despite some concerns expressed that it may be lost with the new trim.
Details seen include a fog light where the reverse light once lived, and new slim chrome strips. Note also the PDC sensors which are standard on the open top MINI due to reduced rear visibility. We feel these details are probably hard to judge from photos alone, and again we’re waiting seeing them in the flesh before we make any kind of judgment. In close up photo’s as above we’re not so sure, but when seen in the overall context of the MINI, we feel they help make the car look a bit chunkier, and maybe even lower.

High Level Brake Light:

Another Convertible only update, the third brake light is neatly integrated into the rear chrome trim. Having seen this for ourselves, it is a very neat solution and looks very smart indeed.

The Soft Top:

Again this is something we have been lucky enough to see in person. For a “pram type” folding roof, this is an extremely smart piece of kit. The roof folds neatly down into and onto itself and requires no additional cover. Sure it’s not as neat as some systems that offer a more completely “tucked” away solution, but the advantage to this is that you don’t lose too much storage space, which is vital in a car the size of the MINI.
Like most soft tops, we think this car looks better with things exposed, rather than with the roof up. The rollover bar section looks nice and chunky, the metallic tubing
looks good. Possibly a little too much plastic back there for some though, but again time will tell.

5 Star Bullet 17″ Alloy Wheels:

We had the first photographs of this wheel as part of our Cooper S Convertible exclusive, and we feel it will be a popular choice. The unusual angles and “depth” of the new MINI wheel (officially Convertible only at this stage) is quite “BMW” in appearance, when compared, for example, with the 17″ S-Spoke alloys.

The New Colour Coded, Simpler Dash:

The new dash board is a nice evolution from the current design, less pieces should mean less chances of the odd creak or rattle, and it also gives a cleaner appearance to the dash area. The airbag, as we have already revealed on MINI2, is moved into the soft dash top area away from the hard plastic dash parts. Colour coding will no doubt be a popular choice, not only as it is a Convertible only option, at least to begin with, it’s also something many people have called for on the MINI2 forums for quite some time.

New Cubby Hole or Storage Area:

At last MINI is making use of what is generally a “dead space” forward of the gear lever and front cup holders. A very welcome addition to the MINI interior of the MINI for everyone, with the exception of aftermarket suppliers of cubby hole storage kits, we presume!

Cockpit Chrono Package:

Again, we’ve previously released a “CAD” design image of this on MINI2, which actually looks quite remarkably like the genuine article you can see above. This, we believe, will be a sure fire hit.
Not only does this move the speedo in front of the driver, something which we often hear called for, it also gives the driver some important information in a neat, easy to view solution. Much better than the current option, placing two additional dials in the space where the new cubby hole (see above) will fit.

In conclusion:

That’s it for now with the MINI Convertible details “focus”. We hope you found it interesting, and it helped illustrate the individua  details of the MINI Convertible, some of which you may not have picked up on. Overall, we like what we see here, and look forward to getting up close and personal with the new MINI Convertible very soon.