I think maybe so.
If you love to drive, but you’ve never driven a Mini, go drive one.
If you do, you’ll understand what I’m talking about.
Let’s start by looking right at the heart and soul of Mini’s top-of-the-line John Cooper Works vehicles.
While most vehicles today have performance settings, they usually resemble something like this--Normal, Personal, Snow, and Sport...right?
Not your JCW Mini. Nope. “Performance” on this ride is labeled as “Go Cart” And when you toggle “Go Cart”, you get a subtle low “WOO HOO!” from your speakers. That’s right. WOO HOO! Who else does that?
That, if nothing more, embodies the spirit of Mini.
And did you notice that I said “toggle? Why push a button to fire it up when you can just twist a toggle switch instead? Mini gives you an interesting mix of “retro” and “tomorrow”. Ambient lighting? Sure. Almost everyone offers it today, right? But how many shoot that lighting through the open weave imitation burlap dash covering?
More unexpected touches? Sure. Hop into your Mini and toggle it to life on a chilly morning and you’ll quickly notice that it automatically turned on your seat and steering wheel warmers…just for you. And pick the right “experience” setting and your lighting will match your music.
And as you’d kinda’ expect, your Mini isn’t going to have a conventional linear info screen. Nope. Here Mini sticks with the round identity that they’ve cultivated for years now. Pretty much everything is there in their 9.4” Oled display…once you learn how to find it.
As for the feel behind the wheel, Mini’s website calls their vehicles “Street Legal Go Carts”. And that’s exactly how today’s Mini feels. Low to the ground…waterbug handling…and “hold-on” acceleration if you opt for their John Cooper Works versions
Mini convertibles come three ways…”regular” starting in the mid $30’s with 161 HP, their “S” with 201 HP and pricing starting just under 40 thousand…and the JCW that we got to test with 228 HP and a mid $40’s to $50K price range. All I can say is that those were the strongest 228 HP that I can remember. Mini claims that it’ll do 0-60 in 6.2 seconds. It felt way faster.
Power in all of ‘em comes from a 2.0 liter 4 turbo running through a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic.