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Mini Cooper S Cabrio

Published 1:42 pm Thursday, July 23, 2009

Sometimes you just get lucky.

During our recent bout of 90-degree weather — as opposed to our current bout of 100-degree weather — my tester was none other than the 2009 Mini Cooper S Cabrio.

Open Air. Open Road. Open mind.

Don’t judge Mini by its size. My inclination was this car was not going to work for a middle-aged man with a little extra around the middle.

Not the case.

This soft-top convertible delivered even more head and leg room than larger cars – although not for back seat passengers. But the Mini does provide seating for four and delivers an estimated 33 mpg in combination city/highway driving. Trunk space is versatile and not mini.

What sets the Mini S Cabrio apart from other mere Coopers is its high-quality soft top with integrated sliding roof function. It can be cracked open, open about half-way – or, even while driving speeds up to 20 mph – folded completely back, fully automatically, in just 15 seconds. This car simply begs to be driven in the open air, and with clear skies and warm temperatures, I was happy to oblige.

The S Cabrio comes with a whimsical Openometer next to the tachometer that challenges the driver to log as many top-down miles as possible by recording the hours spent open-air motoring. This feature might prove mildly depressing during a

Pacific Northwest winter, but what the heck.

The dynamic and performance-oriented S Cabrio is powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder with twin-scroll turbocharger and direct fuel injection that motors from 0 to 62 mph in 7.2 seconds with a top speed of 138 mph. It is coupled with a six-speed manual shifter, and this Mini races around in traffic with superior agility and go-kart handling.

It’s not just size that achieves this little miracle. The 2009 Mini Cooper S Cabrio owes its fascinating handling to suspension technology significantly enhanced and upgraded over the previous model. Thanks to sophisticated wheel suspension and extremely precise electromechanical power steering, the powerful brake system and dynamic stability control featured as standard, the open-air Mini combines its agility

with equally exemplary safety all round.

And then, of course, there is the look – inside and out – that makes this car more endearing to an ever-growing legion of converts. My tester was a funky yellow (my adjective, not the press kit’s) that extends to painted metal inside. Racing stripes adorn the hood, and on most models, there’s a contrasting paint roof color.

Automatic air conditioning with “Cabrio mode” is available for the first time, providing occupants with a consistent set temperature under the influence of wind when the roof is opened. Also available is the seamless integration of external music players, a USB port and Bluetooth hands-free telephone system, suitably compatible with the Apple iPhone.

There is one new safety feature worthy of note: a single-piece rollover protection bar behind the rear seats that spans the entire interior width of the car, without obstructing the driver’s visibility, and moves into position automatically in the event of a potential rollover.