By Casey Williams
MyCarData

(January 2, 2021) Since Alex Issigonis created the original Mini back in 1959, it was an uncommon car.  Its front-drive, two-box design allowed it to carry four passengers in efficient comfort – packaging that would become the global standard for compact cars.  That became common, but London socialites soon demanded versions with leather interiors, custom wheels, and…convertible tops.  No common.  Adding power never hurt, either.  Fast forward 62 years and we have today’s uncommon Mini, the 2021 Cooper S Convertible.
   
Its interior looks bespoke by H. J. Mulliner & Co., long-time customizer of Bentley and Rolls-Royce.  Diamond-stitched “Chesterfield Leather” seats with extendable lower sections and heated cushions look especially suave in Satellite Gray.  A two-tone John Cooper Works leather steering wheel, adjustable ambient lighting, automatic climate control, and chrome-tipped controls elevate the mood.  Mini’s Harman Kardon audio systems always fill the cabin with aural delight, and this convertible’s is no exception.  
    
Familiar design cues have been contemporized.  The round center display, which once housed the speedometer, now cradles the screen for Mini’s version of iDrive that controls audio, navigation, and communications via console joywheel.  Devices connect with Apple CarPlay and Bluetooth.  A new flatscreen instrument pod and head-up display put critical information in the driver’s line-of-sight while safety is enhanced by forward collision alert and adaptive cruise.  Light encircles the display screen and acts as an ethereal tachometer.
    
Much like the interior, exterior design has evolved with classic cues intact.  It’s grown considerably and become more streamlined over the decades, but the Mini still revels in its Britishness.  Bodysides are more sculpted than they first appear and hunker over beefy 18” wheels.  Up front, ovoid LED headlights bracket the brand’s traditional grille that’s rendered in black.  The canvas roof can be slid back over the front passengers or completely powered back to greet the entire sky on sunny days.  A nod to the trend of painting Union Jacks on Mini roofs, the British standard is embossed in the soft top and echoed in the taillights.  Nice touches.
    
There aren’t really any affordable British sports cars with manual transmissions left, but the Cooper S is darned close.  In reality, the Mini Cooper S drives more like a small BMW than a four-seat MG, but beneath its bonnet is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine delivering 189 horsepower and 207 lb.-ft. of torque.  Rev it out with the available six-speed manual transmission.  I always found past Mini shifters to be a little notchy, but this one went through its gates smoothly.  Driven gentlemanly, it returns 23/32-MPG city/highway.
    
Planting the throttle elicits a low rumble that tells you this Mini will zip up to speed and sprint into the left lane for as long as you please.  The short wheelbase, sport suspension, and firm steering provide nimble handling, but the car also feels substantial no matter the speed.  “Sport” and eco “Green” driving modes further differentiate steering and throttle response, depending on your mood.
    
The car is not perfect.  As with any convertible, there’s a little cowl shake over rough pavement, space is tight inside, and you’ll want to take a trailer if you’re traveling far or for long (though, the rear seats split/fold and there’s enough trunk space for a couple of roller bags).  But when you flip back the top, rev up that turbocharged engine, and row through the gears, you’ll be glad you’re sitting in those diamond stitched seats hauling down the road.
    
Base Mini convertibles start at $27,400, but came to $40,850 in full kit.  Compare against cars as diverse as the Mazda Miata, Audi A4 Convertible, Ford Mustang Convertible, and BMW Z4.