Mini Reviews

Sometimes it's a smiling sunshine hoot, sometimes it's a screaming supercharger hoot and sometimes it's a grip-and-go cornering hoot. There are times when it's all three.That's because the newest Mini is a convertible, a supercharged hot hatch and a baby luxury car. All for one and one for all.It comes towards the end of the first built-by-BMW Mini's lifecycle, with development of a second-generation car at full speed in Europe.To give the test car its full name, and please take a breath now to get through it in one go, it's the Mini Cooper S Cabrio with John Cooper Works Tuning Kit.What that means is it's the combination of the new Mini Cabrio with the power-up kit developed by the same Cooper-family company that did the fast-car fix-up on the original Mini in the 1960s.It means a $54,750 price and a list of special equipment that runs from the Cooper Works engine bits to rear-parking radar and a full leather cabin.The S Works Cabrio is the all-for-one car that puts the best of everything into the one package.The Works kit means 154kW from a supercharged engine that powers the car to 100km/h in less than seven seconds, and the Cabrio kit makes the Mini into a worthwhile four-seat convertible.The car's roof is essentially an electric folding cloth top. But there is much more to it.The conversion has been done without losing the benefit of rear rollover bars and a heated glass rear window.It has a fully automatic control system that can even be operated with the remote keyfob.It also doubles as a targa top with a sliding front sunroof panel.The marketing team at BMW, which has a great grip on what's best in the trend business, also ensured the Cabrio comes in all the right colours, with three choices for the roof fabric, and a wide range of optional equipment.Still, the basics are all you expect, including CD sound and leather trim, electric mirrors and air-con.The roof is operated from two switches at the top of the windscreen support. One allows all four side windows to be tucked away for a clean look.The John Cooper Works kit does the job in the engine bay with bigger fuel injectors and special engine calibration, modified valves, a stainless exhaust, uprated supercharger, modified cylinder head and a special air-filter housing.There is a discreet badge below the grille to tell people what is closing from behind, and one on the back.The Mini Cabrio goes up against all sorts of rivals, from the classic two-seat Mazda MX-5 featured in this week's middle pages to the metal-roof Renault Megane and Peugeot 307 coupe-convertibles.The VW Beetle Cabrio is in there too, in a droptop class that is growing all the time and even includes a value-added new Saab 9-3 convertible in the $60,000 range.ON THE ROADTHE S Works Cabrio is a ripper of a car. It's not for everyone, with an engine that screams and howls and pops, but the people who like it will really like it.It's also very hard to park, has a tiny boot, can be a bugger to contain and could be a long-term problem with so much mechanical and electrical complexity in the Cabrio system.But who cares when the top is down and you are sprinting into the sunshine?The driving enjoyment in the Cabrio Works is right up with the MX-5 and way beyond the thrills you get in a Megane or 307CC. The Beetle Cabrio barely moves the meter.The Cabrio Works' price is pretty meaty even without dipping into the extras list, and beyond its obvious rivals, but this is a car with extra appeal.It is nice just to fold the roof flat for a quiet sunset cruise, because the Mini is refined, comfortable and easy to use.Back-seat space isn't huge, but you can happily take friends along.The Cabrio is nicely quiet at all times, top up and top down, and the system works well. One button, no fuss.Some people would prefer a folding metal roof, but the Mini system is a good design.And we really like the sliding front panel, which gives you extra air and sunshine even if you don't want the full Cabrio experience.The quality seems a little better than that of earlier Minis we drove, without the driver's seat squeak that was so annoying at first, and we're still taken with the funky dashboard.The boot is a pain – even with the fold-flat rear seats – and we found it difficult to back the car with the roof up, and not much better with it down, because of the giant rollbars.But the John Cooper Works kit more than compensates, even if the fitted price puts $9850 on a Mini.It transforms the car into one capable of beating V8s away from the lights and really moving along a twisty road. But it's the way it does it, with excellent bottom-end pull and a surge all the way to the redline, that's so impressive.The hi-tech engine upgrade is well matched to a car with great grip and brakes, even if the steering wheel does jerk around in your hands if you push on broken surfaces.The six-speed manual works well, the steering has good feel, and the sporty suspension still copes with bumps.THE BOTTOM LINETHE S Works Cabrio is just the thing to have in Melbourne in GP week. It's great for a posing cruise but can still light up and go. It's a memorable car that should appeal to a lot of people who want something special that's more than a convertible.

Knock the roof off but don't ever forget that you are on show to the world. Everybody – and that includes bike messengers – will be looking down on you, most with a degree of envy.And well may they be envious ... as long as you are the one gripping the fat little steering wheel there is little reason not to smile in one of these.At $44,900 the Mini Cooper S Cabrio is no steal. However, what price can you put on the sort of warm-and-fuzzy feelings that seem to accompany it? For basic, hands-on accounting purposes, the Cabrio brings everything to the table that the hardtop does – all the go-kart dynamics, great looks and stylish, modern interior fittings.As with its enclosed bretheren, the Cabrio offers a full suit of "personalisation" options running from a full John Cooper Works tuning kit – upgraded to produce a spanking 154kW Cooper S at $9850 – through to bonnet stripes and Xenon headlights.There are also rain sensor wipers, satellite navigation, automatic airconditioning, a range of 17- and 18-inch light alloy rims, a high-spec Harman/Kardan sound system with eight speakers, a wind deflector and more. There is also the choice of three colours – black, green and blue – to coordinate the cloth roof with 12 body colours.The folding roof is fully automatic and will drop in just 15 seconds either from a button inside the car or from outside, using the remote key fob. A feature of the soft-top is a two-stage deployment, which Mini calls the "integrated sunroof". This initial slide creates a targa effect, where half the roof is activated for the first stage of opening. It can be deployed at up to 120km/h.For a single-layer roof the Cabrio's cloth top is benchmark. Wind noise is at a minimum, the fit is drum tight and there was no noticeable stretch or drumming.Knock the roof off and there is no danger of losing the toupee with buffetting – at least in the front seats – kept to a minimum by a combination of the upright windscreen and wind deflector.The 125kW engine is a little beauty and coupled to the same compact six-speed Getrag manual as the hard-top it offers as enthusiastic a drive as you could want.Mechanically the main difference between Cabrio and the hard-top is in the suspension with the settings having been shifted down a notch towards a softer ride. The Cooper S has a sport setting – sport-plus in the hard-top – in deference to the Cabrio's differing demographic of buyer.Without driving the two cars back-to-back it is difficult to differentiate between the settings, particularly as the Cabrio has been stiffened through the A-Pillar and along the bottom rails of the cabin section.There is also additional bracing under the seats and through the use of the aluminium cross-brace which doubles as the rear roll-over loop.It all goes towards keeping the Cabrio scuttle-shake free and feeling almost as tight as a roofed version – although more nervous over corrugations or broken surfaces.Safety features include four airbags. The seat-mounted side bags extend higher in the Cabrio to offer head protection in lieu of the hard-top's curtain bags.Rear seating is tight. Space has been squeezed to accommodate the mechanism for the folding roof and worse still, the seat is set so that passengers are forced to sit at an awkward angle. There is also limited opportunity for luggage storage.

Things that in the short term were bearable (even quaint and amusing) become untenable irritations with the passage of time.Motor vehicles are no different. Things you thought you couldn't live without – or so the salesman told you – can become a burden while the silly little bit of frippery you found annoying becomes a godsend as you grow to appreciate it.A motor vehicle will be the second-biggest purchase most people will make in their lives, a decision usually based on a preconceived desire, an advertising campaign and a short drive. Reviewing and test driving cars can have similar pitfalls.Hopping into a spanking new auto every week is certainly not all bad – in fact it is pretty good – but the truth is that an impression quickly gained can colour an opinion long held. From next week The Daily Telegraph will expand its road-test coverage to include a series of longer-term tests where the cars are assessed closer to the manner they would be by the average buyer.Over the months we will report on what's good and not so good about the car you may be contemplating buying. There will be reports on what it costs to run and service; what makes it a pleasure to own; and the things that make you wish you had spent a little longer looking around before signing on the dotted line.ONE MONTH LATERJaedene Hudson10dec04The little MINI has travelled 2026km since it arrived in the CARSguide stable. The biggest trip it has ventured on so far was about two hours south of Sydney.It was a breeze to drive along the freeway, the high torque figures showing their true colours with no necessity to move out of sixth gear even when travelling up bigger hills.Travelling the streets at night the reflections off the chromed gauge surrounds gives the MINI an expensive, glamorous feel.The car has been used for shopping with the rear seats folded down to handle the weekly load.The MINI has had four drinks from the bowser with 174L consumed over 1664km, returning a reading of 10.5L/100km.It took less than two weeks for the MINI to become part of the family.The second side of the double lock-up garage had long been used to store tools but was quickly cleaned out and the MINI rolled into its new home, taking precedence over other cars that were left in the driveway.One Mini enthusiast, whose garage houses several restored classic models, took the car for a drive to work and back.His comment: "Gee, it is a good little thing. I won't take it tomorrow because I have already fallen in love with it."TWO MONTH UPDATEDavid Fitzsimons15jan05The little yellow and black head-turner is continuing to make its presence felt across Sydney. It has now travelled 4910km, that's some 2300km since its last report card.While much of that mileage has been battling Sydney traffic in the lead-up to Christmas it also ventured south to Goulburn for a day to Wakefield Park raceway.The supercharged 1.6-litre engine had plenty of power for tackling the Hume Highway's Southern Highland hills.Throughout the month the Mini has shared the driveway with some interesting vehicles for comparison, including one of its older brothers and a direct competitor, the Renault Megane Sport.A friend's restored 1978 yellow Clubman proved an interesting contrast, showing the changes BMW has wrought in the Mini.The car's larger wheels enable it to sit much higher on the road than the older car, putting the driver at eye level with other motorists.But despite more than 25 years' difference between the cars there is no mistaking their shared history once you put them side by side.The Megane stood up well in performance and driveability but the Mini won easily on looks with its sexy retro gauges and switches.

The 21st century version of one of the most famous car movies of all time, The Italian Job, had its world premiere this week.The reworking of Michael Caine's cult gold heist caper stars the latest Mini Cooper and Mini Cooper S, together with a strong supporting cast of Hollywood names.Although the world premiere was in Los Angeles, Aussie film fans will have to wait until August 21 to see it.In the 1968 original, the producers used 14 Minis.This time 32 cars were provided for filming, with those still in one piece used for promotional work and display at the Heritage Centre in Oxford.Before the cast were allowed to get their hands on the cars, the film's director, F. Gary Gray, insisted they undergo a course so they were familiar with the car's capabilities.The patriotic red, white and blue colour scheme of the 1968 Mini Cooper S fleet is echoed in 2003, as are the multitude of elaborate stunt sequences and spectacular jumps.The new line-up comprises nine blue and nine white Mini Coopers, eight red Mini Cooper S and six pre-production Minis.The opening scenes of this year's film are set in Venice and the Italian Alps, before the film fast-forwards to Hollywood.There, the getaway Minis have to contend with gunshots and plenty of narrow scrapes as they duck and dive through LA.In the new version, Charlie Croker (Mark Wahlberg) pulls off a gold bullion heist from a heavily- guarded palazzo in Venice ¿ only to be double-crossed by one of his crew.Seeking revenge, Charlie recruits Stella (Charlize Theron), a nerves-of-steel safecracker, and along with his former gang, they pursue the backstabber to California where they plan to re-steal the gold by manipulating traffic signals and creating havoc on the streets of LA.Making the movie involved taking over the streets of Hollywood for a week.Theron says: "It's not every day that you get to drive a car on the sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard over the stars of James Dean and Jean Harlow."Producer Donald De Line adds: "We controlled the streets for a week ¿ and that's a big deal. We had 300 cars and several armoured trucks on the ground, helicopters flying low overhead, and motorcycles and Minis driving over the sidewalk."Meanwhile, you can catch up with all the antics on the Mini website and the movie website.