CABRIOLETS are purely lifestyle vehicles that provide the well-off with that wind-in-the-hair drive when the Malaysian climate is favourable, such as a cool cloudy day.
Despite that we recently came across someone driving along in an MG Cyberster with the cabrio roof down, never mind the hot sun overhead, albeit he was wearing a baseball cap.
We would rather enjoy that open top driving up in the cooler altitudes such as Genting Highlands or Cameron Highlands.
And no, we didn’t venture to either place during our three days with the MINI Cooper S Cabriolet during the long weekend holiday.
Instead, we drove the Cooper S Cabrio as we would an ordinary car for our daily errands, a shopping outing and venturing out for our respective meals.
It’s not quite the motoring experience one would expect with a cabriolet but with only three days that included one for taking the Cooper S Cabrio and one for returning it, a tight schedule didn’t give us the time for a drive up to Genting Highlands.
Nevertheless, we enjoyed some top-down driving for the photo shoot, thankfully under a fairly cloudy sky.
As a car for conventional motoring, we had to compromise on the space that such a compact car provides.
In a way, we could relate to that having owned a Mini 1000 in the early 1970s, which was even smaller in dimensions.
MINI retained this compact ambience in the current model, which was clearly experienced when compared to modern cars that have “grown” dimensionally against their early models.
It is best described as a snug and cosy interior, including a tiny boot that probably would take in two medium sized luggage at best, and a physically engaging one.
The rear seatrests are split 60:40 and putting them down might improve luggage space, although loading them might still be a back-breaking one because of the low vehicle height.
Reaching for the seatbelt buckle was a hassle as it was located quite far back to accommodate the wide doors for the two-door cabriolet.
Storage space comes at a premium too with the narrow door pockets while the centre console with two cupholders offers little else.
The wireless charging facility is an inclined space under the dashboard but there are two USB type-C ports for charging handphones at the other end.
The rear passenger space is purely for young kids and getting in might still be a contortionist act, despite the front seat folding facility.
Since it’s a cabriolet with electric folding roof, you could fold the roof away and lift your kids into the rear seats.
Another aspect of the physically engaging experience is that getting comfortable in the John Cooper Works driver’s seat is an all-manual affair.
The imported Cooper S Cabrio might set you back almost RM320k on the road without insurance (add another RM10K for extended warranty and service package), but you won’t enjoy electric adjustments common to cars in this price range.
Yes, we are detracting by picking on all these little nigglings in reviewing the Cooper S Cabrio especially on its role as a leisure vehicle, driven now and then to enjoy life.
It would certainly be one of many vehicles in the garage that the well-off could choose to drive at his whims and fancies.
We like the quickness in which the roof could be power folded down and put back up; a rough count put that at about 10-11 seconds either way.
To do that, we used a button on the roof panel above the windscreen, pressing on it either way until the roof was down or up.
The large keyfob doesn’t come with a door lock facility and we had to use the button on the door handle, although we haven’t come to grips with using it correctly.
There is a door open button that we felt pointless as the Mini Cabrio would detect us approaching and unlock the doors.
Other unusual oddities that add to the Cooper S Cabrio’s charm is way you start the engine and select the drive mode.
This is done via switches on the compact panel beneath the OLED (organic light emitting diode) round display located midship of the dashboard, which keeps to the original Mini dash styling.
OLEDs are superior to LED displays as they have superior contrast, faster response time, wide viewing angles, among others, but are more expensive.
The engine is started and turned off by turning the switch either way and the drive mode is selected by flipping the switch up or down; the parking brake button is next to the drive mode selector.
At the other end is the MINI Experience selector, also by flipping the switch up or down, and the car hifi system selection knob.
A head-up display (HUD) system comes standard and it uses a panel on top of the dashboard, which we found more practical to use than a similar system we experienced recently.
There is a Harmon Kardon surround sound system that was music to the ears on quiet stretches when road noise intrusion was low.
The thick-rim steering wheel with controls felt a bit too big within the Cooper S Cabrio’s compact ambience.
Ride comfort was within expectations for a compact Cabrio on a 2,495mm wheelbase, and a MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension (tyres on the black/chrome alloy wheels were 215/40R18 Hankook Ventus rubbers).
As we chose the Normal mode, impacts over the usual mill of uneven road surfaces we covered daily were less bumpy and jarring.
It felt planted on the road during highway runs and was fun to drive through our favourite winding stretches with its good control dynamics.
The Cooper S Cabriolet is said to sprint from 0 to 100kph in a fairly quick 6.9 seconds and a top speed of 237kph.
This is made possible with a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine that delivers 150kW (204hp) and 300Nm of torque coming in early at 1,450rpm.
Although we covered close to 130km during the three-day drive, the fuel tank needle hardly moved, suggesting its less thirsty ways.
Then again, we weren’t driving the Cooper S Cabrio in a robust way other than a few short bursts here and there.
It also comes with a full range of passive and active safety systems that is about on par with that found in current day passenger vehicles, especially at this price point.
As a lifestyle car, the Cooper S Cabrio ticks all the right boxes for that leisurely wind-in-the-hair drive and that’s what counts.
SPECIFICATIONS
MINI Cooper S Cabrio
Engine: 1,998cc, 16-valve, DOHC, 4-cylinder turbocharged engine
Maximum power: 150kW/204hp from 5,000rpm to 6,500rpm
Maximum torque: 300Nm from 1,450rpm to 4,500rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed double-clutch automatic
Acceleration (0-100kph): 6.9 seconds
Top speed: 237kph
Features: Driving Assistance Plus, rear crossing traffic warning, rear collision prevention, reversing assistant, Lateral Parking Aid, surround view system, rear camera cleansing system, attentiveness assistant, BMW Drive Recorder, Automatic Speed Limit Assistant, John Cooper Works sports seats, knitted dashboard, driver’s door mirror with automatic dimming, Bi-LED headlamps, OLED round central display, head-up display, wireless charging tray, Harmon Kardon surround system
Suspension: Front MacPherson struts; rear multi-link
Price (OTR without insurance): RM318,888, (RM329,888 with extended warranty and service package)
