2018 Mini Cooper S Convertible Review - (Sport Auto) – The Tiny Trooper

Twenty five years ago I made the best mistake of my life. Well I think you’ll call it a mistake. I was 16 years old when I sold my first car, a British Racing (more like avocado) green Mini Cooper 1100, bought from my sister a year prior for a mere R50.

She had bought it a year earlier than that for R500 and driven it never. Bargain. In that year I accomplished many things such as getting its lumpy motor to turn over into life, ripping the rotten door cards and ceiling lining and replacing it with wooden laminate. I don’t know why I did that but I think it looked lovely.

I also outfitted the most adorable Coca-Cola radio, bright red and about the size of two shoeboxes. I was styling. They saw us rolling. And indeed, I suspect they hated. But I had other plans. I needed a computer.

Yep, it was 1993 on the Cape Flats and finances were scant and yet as much as I loved the car I would use to cut the teeth residing in my petrol head, my passions lied elsewhere. I wanted to become a graphic designer. I also wanted to play computer games. And that, apart from word processing (as if!) was pretty much all you could accomplish with a computer in a time preceding the internet (as we know it now), MP3 and digital video.

But it was enough for me to obsess about so into the classifieds my Mini Cooper went. Not to sell but to swap for an IBM-Compatible Desktop PC. Obviously somebody snapped it up, an elderly Brit gent that could easily have been its original owner. He was happy, I was thrilled – we parted ways and that was that.

It was only when I took delivery of the car you see on these pages that it occurred to me that I’ve been here before and I’ll be honest with you – I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for that first computer.

So thank you fate, and thank you to my original Cooper.

But, this isn’t that

In broad strokes no - this is a very different animal, a turbo-charged tyke with 141kW being sent to its front wheels and a ragtop roof that can be stowed with minimal fuss. Speed is commendable at 7.2 seconds from zero to 100kph, an efficient blue bolt that consumes just 6.3 litres of unleaded octane with little detriment to the environment emitting a mere 144g/km of noxious gas.

I drove one just like it three years ago on Mulholland Drive and it was great then, it’s great now – a real engaging package. They’re style cars, so I guess I should begin with that.

An all-round looker

And I do mean round. From the overtly round headlamps formed by a myriad of ellipses, to the fog lamps and similarly hiding in the rear clusters. Even the squares are rounded off in the general styling. Predictably the wheels are also round (but we were predicting this), as are both exhaust tips and the petrol cap.

Clamber aboard however and the roundness takes on a whole new level of obsession. Yes, the steering wheel too is spherical, almost refreshing considering the flat-bottomed trend of late.

But residing on it is an absolute plethora of circles for controls, with circular shapes for HVAC vents, the multimedia and tachometer screen, cupholders, gear surround – even the brake and accelerator pedals are stretched out ovals. We get it MINI, you hate angles.

The cabin itself on our test car was well appointed, a tiny circular slice of leather luxury complete with driving modes as you’d expect in Eco, Normal and Sport flavours. The roof is easily retracted and the rear well – ‘tis a pair of buckets limiting occupancy to four souls – a pity as we’re a family of five but then this car is not for me, except maybe on Sunday mornings when the roads are clear. And on that note.

Breakfast runner

Besides being styling city cars, Mini Coopers especially in S trim are meant to be ‘mountain pass rock stars’. There’s not too much power here to get you into trouble, rather just enough to maintain a point-and-squirt rhythm for predictable chucking between apexes (or apices depending on your schooling) with a compliant chassis and a suspension that won’t quit – a far cry from the rubber cones of my old Classic Mini.

As a result, the Mini Cooper S is an absolute pleasure on the winding Du Toitskloof Pass, a rorty exhaust note that bangs about the canyon walls goading my right foot into action, a helm that’s flavourful and pointy, and an acceleration arc that’s ‘natasp’ smooth despite the forced induction.

There’s a lot of fun to be had in the pilot’s chair.

Okay, let’s wrap this up

I don’t think I have to convince anyone to part with their money – they’ve been selling themselves for years with no difficulty. The Cooper S especially represents the right balance of fun and glamour, with the Convertible offering both in spades.

It’s an urban runabout with a loveable cuteness that belies its performance intent which at R500,000 admittedly doesn’t come cheap. The alfresco aspect means that you’re doubly rewarded if you bought one just for the noise it makes.

Personally, I’d have one in my ideal ten car garage and that’s a pretty big compliment all things considered. Well done Germany on what is still our favourite little British Sports Car. Followed closely by Japan and its Mazda MX5, but that’s a different story altogether.

2018 Mini Cooper S Convertible (Sport Auto) Specs: