Whimsically entertaining.

Wholly imprudent.

Wildly impractical.

Wickedly fun.

You now know everything important about the 2005 Mini Cooper S Convertible, a car that is eclectic, eccentric, downright silly and a joy to drive, especially fast.

In an America dominated by Leviathan SUVs and pickup trucks, and me-too sedans, the Mini Cooper S Convertible is a weird and wonderful antidote to the mundane. It’s an emotional intoxicant that will make even the stodgiest and most somber adult giggle like a fifth-grader hearing a fart joke.

In other words, it’s a great cure for being a grown-up.

The convertible is a new model to the Mini lineup for 2005 and one that makes a lot of sense when you think about it. If you’re going to build a car that flies so totally in the face of convention, why not go all the way and make it a ragtop?

Fortunately, that’s exactly what Mini did.

The convertible, like the Mini coupe, is available in a standard model and the high-performance S model, which is the one to get. Both have four-cylinder motors, but the base model is just 115 horsepower, while the S makes a whopping 168 ponies, thanks to a supercharger and intercooler.

In S trim, the Mini jets from zero to 60 mph in just 7.0 seconds, and it subjectively feels even faster, given the car’s diminutive size (less than 12 feet long, or almost two feet shorter than a Volkswagen GTI). Putting the top down merely adds to the sensation of speed.

Speaking of which, in S trim, the ragtop Mini will top out at 134 miles per hour and, while I never got anywhere near that fast, I’d be willing to bet that it verges on being a religious experience.

Even though it’s impressively quick, one doesn’t buy the Mini for its straight-line acceleration. One buys a Mini because it handles and brakes like a slot car. Standard on the S are four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link rear suspension in back.

Our tester had the optional sport package that added Dynamic Stability Control and 205/45R-17 high-performance run-flat tires. So configured, the Mini positively gobbles up asphalt and is just a flat-out blast to drive fast. There probably are other cars that generate better skid pad numbers or have higher ultimate adhesion, but there is nothing out there that even approaches the Mini in pure driving joy.

Surprisingly, the Mini even felt stable and happy on the highway, with 18-wheelers rolling by at 80 miles per hour. On most any road, the Mini is major fun.

And speaking of fun, the innovative convertible top on the Mini is a wonder to behold. There are no latches to lock or unlock, just one button to push that raises and lowers the top.

What’s really cool, though, is that the top also functions as a sunroof. Press the button while the car is moving, and the front of the top retracts up to 16 inches while the back stays in place. Voila! Instant sunroof.

Or as my 22-year-old niece said after just one short ride, “With a top like this, why would you ever want the coupe?” Indeed.

On the inside, the Mini has an amazingly sharp retro instrument panel with a huge speedometer mounted right in the middle of the dashboard and a steering-column mounted tachometer that also has a digital speed readout at the bottom. Way, way cool.

The Mini’s front seats are comfortable even if you’re 6’4” like I am, and the back seat will accommodate a couple of small kids, though not much else.

All that said, there are also a fair number of things not to like about the Mini, unfortunately.

The trunk is tiny.

The radio isn’t nearly loud enough, even with the top up.

The optional automatic transmission in our test car seemed to wander from gear to gear fairly randomly.

The ride, while comfortable, is also very bumpy. Very, very, bumpy. If you try to drive to work while drinking a cup of coffee in a Mini Cooper S, you will end up wearing said cup of coffee. Trust me on this one.

The Mini convertible makes a stupendous weekend car, but as a sole car would be difficult to live with — even simple chores like grocery shopping require a lot of forethought, ‘cause there isn’t much room to store stuff.

Still, overall the Mini Cooper S Convertible is both delightful and amazing, and with a base price of $24,900 certainly affordable.

God knows there are enough eminently sensible Toyota Camrys and Honda Accords on the road. The Mini provides welcome relief to the rational and serves up much-needed doses of sun and fun.

In fact, while I was on the Mini website, I got the following message:

“Sorry to interrupt, but haven’t you been in front of this computer long enough? We here at Mini are worried you’re not getting enough exposure to the sun and stars. Don’t worry, we’ll be here all week. So, get going. Save your retinas for the road.”

Can you imagine any other car company sending a message like that?

Me, neither.

And that’s just one of many reasons to the love the Mini Cooper S Convertible.

(this article was taken from speedtv.com)

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 1st, 2005 at 9:54 am and is filed under Miscellaneous. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.