MINI Cooper -Roadster
The MINI Roadster
Since MINI Cooper came into existence, the company has had one success story after another. The capable engineers at MINI Cooper have in no way ever shied away from doing more – often with a lot less than competitive automakers. They enjoy an almost cult-like following because they have an almost irreverent approach to engineering limitations.
Latest in what has been a virtually uninterrupted series of successes is the MINI Roadster. This is the sixth entry in the British premium carmaker’s current line-up, which gives the small car marketer another revolutionary model and its initial open-top two-seater in its storied history.
If MINI is known for little else, this carmaker consistently pushes the edges of its own envelope by taking an aggressive approach to building their own superb cars.
The MINI Roadster is yet another cutting-edge, characteristically MINI interpretation of what a compact, two-seater sports car is supposed to be. This introduction has a manually-opening, soft-top roof, and is the first premium car of this type in the small car market with the feature. The Roadster’s unique package appeals to even the most demanding critics and targeted buying groups that all have one thing in common – a passion for elegant, superbly-built sports cars.
Robust engines and innovative chassis technology are enhanced with model-specific tuning. The MINI Roadster’s time-honored soft-top roof can be effortlessly opened and closed manually, and ensures open-top cruising delight can be had at every opportunity when behind the wheel.
MINI introduced the Cooper Coupe, which was a MINI Cooper with two less seats, a separate trunk area, and a chopped roof. Now, MINI has formally unveiled the Coupe’s companion – the Cooper Roadster. The Roadster features all of the previously mentioned items, and adds the new roof treatment.
Similar to the Coupe, nearly everything below the Roadster’s high midsection is taken from the four-seat Cooper convertible. Additional structural components have been added to support the unique roof mounting points and preset, stainless-steel rollover bar. The Roadster additionally incorporates a more aggressively raked windshield and has an overall roof height which is .9 inch lower than that on the Cooper convertible.
The top is manually operated, and has a center-mounted latch on the windshield header. This allows it to be jettisoned on the fly. When stowed, the top rises no higher than the body, which retains both the chopped MINI’s slick styling and adds a semblance of rearward vision, which is unlike the Cooper convertible. Raising the roof is made simpler and easier through a button placed between the rollover bar that activates pneumatic springs.
The Roadster’s fabric roof is only available in black, which is in keeping with British roadster tradition, according to MINI. The coupe offers a range of three contrasting colors for its roof. Optional racing stripes are offered to complement the body.
Just like the Cooper Coupe, the Roadster incorporates a remarkably spacious trunk (8.5 cubic feet-and a pass-through between the seats) which allows for the carrying of longer cargo.
In many respects, the Roadster and Coupe are nearly the same. The Roadster will reflect the same power-plant of the MINI family. The entry-level engine will be the 121-hp in the base-model Cooper, the snappier 181-hp will be in Cooper S, and a 208-hp drivetrain will be in the John Cooper Works model. Six-speed manual transmissions are standard overall, with a six-speed automatic optional on the Cooper and Cooper S.
MINI estimates that the Roadsters will take about .2 seconds longer than their Coupe brethren to rocket to 60 mph from a standing start. This translates into Zero to 60 times in 8.7 seconds for the Cooper, 6.7 seconds for the Cooper S, and 6.3 seconds for the John Cooper Works.
The MINI Cooper Roadster will go on sale in the U.S. next year. Prices are likely to start around $27,000 for the base model. According to MINI’s pricing schedule for its other models, the Cooper S should be in the $30,000 range and the JCW will sell for somewhere in the $37,000 area.
