Other than the fabric top, the 2005 car features unique bumpers with integrated fog lamps, restyled headlamps, plus a revised grille. The rear bumper has also been tweaked, with turn signals now moved upward in the taillight cluster.
 |
| The base convertible in North America will be the 115-hp MINI Cooper. (Photo: MINI Canada) |
Europeans will get the 90-hp MINI One Convertible, while the North American base convertible will be the 115-hp MINI Cooper. A 163-hp Cooper S Convertible has been reported too, coming out later in the year. Rumors of engine upgrades have not been officially confirmed but are rampant nonetheless, with an expected 20-hp improvement, or so, across the MINI line.
While MINI One Convertibles arrive in Europe with standard 15-inch steel wheels, North American bound Cooper Convertibles will feature lightweight alloys in 16- and 17-inch diameters wrapped in run-flat performance tires.
 |
| Hot Orange and Cool Blue are two new colors that are available to coat the new convertible. (Photo: MINI Canada) |
New colors include Hot Orange and Cool Blue, while customers will have the choice of black, blue or green soft tops. Will a blue on orange MINI do the trick for you? MINI has yet to announce which exterior paint schemes can be matched with the top colors, so don't get too excited. There also is no word on the availability of Union Jack adorned soft-tops, checkers, or any other classic MINI "decals."
Unlike any competitor in the subcompact segment MINI offers luxury car features such as a navigation system, top-tier Harmon-Kardon audio and the list goes on. The Convertible will offer these items as well as safety features currently available to hardtop buyers. Standard are 4-wheel disc brakes, ABS, electronic brake force distribution (EBD) and cornering brake control (CBC). ASC+T automatic stability and traction control and DSC dynamic stability control will be optional.