Worth the Wait
It's been a long time coming, but BMW Group's MINI brand finally officially unveiled its new Convertible in North America after first showing it to European media at the Geneva motor show.
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| The tire smoke is still in the air surrounding a MINI Convertible making its spectacular U.S. debut in Manhattan last week. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
Its first North American stop was the Vancouver auto show in March, where amid much fanfare it was unveiled to the automotive media. Even more celebratory was its screeching entrance in front of Manhattan's Jacob Javits Center, home of the New York International Auto Show. A stunt driver was hired to entertain the crowd and show off the new drop-top's handling capabilities in the process - an effective display of a talented man and machine.
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| MINI chose the Vancouver auto show in March to unveil its new convertible in North America. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
After the tire smoke cleared, it was easy to see that the MINI designers did an exceptional job getting the car's proportions right. With the top in place the traditional two-box mini profile has been kept intact, with the added bonus of a high-quality soft-top available in multiple colors. It's a fully automatic "Z-mechanism" fabric roof, that when upright combines with exposed rear lid hinges for an even greater retro appearance than the regular MINI.
An innovative "sliding roof mode" allows the top to open up to 400 mm (15.75 inches) at speeds of 120 km/h (75 mph), letting in the sun (just like a large sunroof) with reduced wind and noise. The press of a button drops the top completely in 15 seconds, stowing it behind the rear seats without the need of a tonneau cover.