Surprise Package
by Alan Douglas (18 Jun 04)

I shouldn't have been surprised. After all, the MINI has been very surprising since it burst on the scene three years ago. The initial design was surprising in its ability to encapsulate the spirit of the original 60s icon; the marketing and advertising have been surprising and innovative; the resulting sales and overall success of the car have taken everyone by surprise, including MINI management themselves.

So, coming face to face with the latest and most exciting version, the Convertible, I shouldn't have been surprised that I would be impressed.

I could be excused for expecting the worst, that perhaps those folks at MINI aren't quite as infallible as they appear. I have read some scathing words about the car from motoring writers who got an early preview - complaints about the "pram hood" looks; the lack of performance; road noise and the traditional convertible problem of scuttle-shake.

Well, after a couple of hundred miles in both the base One and the mid-range Cooper, I can tell you that these guys must have been driving a different car.

Certainly, the environment helped - under the blazing southern Spanish sun on a mixture of roads from dusty tracks to high-speed motorway around Seville - but both versions were superb whatever the surface, however tight the bend or how steep the climb.

The MINI Convertible is bound to be a huge success, building on the amazing job done by the hatchback since 2001. Britain may have dubious weather, but here in the UK we're taking our tops off with abandon. Ten years ago, only 0.93% of all models sold in Britain were convertibles. In 2003 that had risen to 3.8% - an amazing 98,316 cars last year alone. Couple that to the surge in the supermini segment of the market, 34% of all sales, and you can see exactly why MINI is in there.

More . . .

Back to MINI Launch index
Back to main Launch index