Months after the BMW Group launched the fifth generation of its Mini Cooper lineup, the company has introduced the open-top model.

The Mini Cooper Convertible was revealed Oct. 9.

The new Cooper Convertible is a two-door four-seater that, like its 3 Door and 5 Door siblings, is available as the Cooper C (standard), the sportier Cooper S, and the performance-oriented JCW.

“We are very proud to offer our customers a true convertible in the current Mini family. Our new Mini Cooper Convertible offers unmistakable, hallmark driving fun, coupled with boundless freedom and great emotions: Always Open. Iconic design combined with modern technology and connectivity make this vehicle an unrivalled experience for our customers,” said Stefan Richmann, head of the Mini brand, in a news release.

The latest generation of Mini cars offers a minimalist design, both inside and out, which carries into this convertible model.

Soft top

The soft top is fully automated and can be fully opened in 18 seconds at speeds of up to 30 km/h.

When the top goes down, so do the window bars and side windows, which offers the driver a better view around the car. The soft top also closes in 15 seconds.

If you want only a partial open top, the soft top can also function as a sunroof, opening up to a length of 40 centimetres, at any speed.

A nifty trick of the car is an integrated rollover protection system behind the headrests at the rear of the car. It activates automatically as soon as the car detects a risk of a rollover.

Powertrain options

The car is available with three different four-cylinder engines.

The Cooper C gets a motor with 163 hp and 184 lb.-ft. of torque. Zero to 100 km/h arrives in 8.2 seconds and the top speed is 220 km/h, the automaker says.

The Cooper S gets a motor producing 204 hp and 221 lb.-ft. of torque. Zero to 100 km/h is reported in 6.9 seconds and the top speed is 237 km/h.

Specs of the JCW model were not shared.

Interior trims

In addition to the various powertrain options, the car is available in three interior trim versions, the Classic, Favoured and JCW trims.

Details of each interior trim:

• Classic – this one features a three-spoke steering wheel with a leather-look textile band and coloured accent stitching, a black and blue knitted surface on the instrument panel and doors, and seats available in premium fabric or Vescin synthetic leather.
• Favoured – this trim features an instrument panel upholstered in grey-beige houndstooth fabric and JCW sport seats, which are made of perforated synthetic leather with accent stitching and an embroidered two-colour Mini logo.
• JCW – this last trim enhances the sporty appearance and features upholstery with multi-coloured knitted fabric and black synthetic leather with red stitching as well as a JCW sport steering wheel.

As you’d expect, the latest generation of Cooper Convertible gets a host of new technology, including the Mini Operating System 9.

The new Mini Cooper Convertible has a starting MSRP of $42,990 in Canada. It’s arrival in Canada has not been announced but reservations are being taken now.

More information is available on Mini’s Canadian website.

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