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MINI's range is growing seemingly by the minute, with the Clubman and more recently the Countryman and Coupe adding to the ranks. The Convertible, however, still has plenty of charm, and while it carries forward last year's updates for the 2012 model year, it's still looking fresh.
Sharing its cute and trim face with the hatchback, the MINI Convertible's cloth top is a bit more ungainly when up, but once dropped, the proportions flow. Even when it's not time for droptop fun, the soft convertible roof offers some unique and worthwhile design features, like a built-in sunroof. Best of all, it stands alone as a unique vehicle on the U.S. market, with basically nothing to match its hatch-meets-convertible style.
New for the 2012 model year is MINI Yours, a customization line that allows unique upholstery, interior surfaces, and exterior colors. Otherwise, the only new features are an available digital compass built into the rear-view mirror and a wider selection of upholstery combinations.
Like the rest of the MINI lineup, the Convertible is available in base, Cooper S, and John Cooper Works trims. The central difference between each is the engine: a 1.6-liter four-cylinder powers each, but the base gets a 121-horsepower version, the Cooper S adds a turbocharger for 181 horsepower, and the John Cooper Works ups the power to 208 hp. The Cooper S gets a sportier suspension, and the John Cooper Works is sportier still, with a range of unique exterior aerodynamic elements and badging, but all share the same core structure and fun-to-drive nature. A choice of six-speed manual or automatic transmission is available in all but the JCW, which is manual-only.
Like other MINIs, the Convertible is spacious for front-seat passengers, uncomfortable at best for rear-seat passengers, and chock full of quirky design and sometimes-cheap-feeling interior materials. The convertible top of course does away with some of the cargo space and utility of the hatchback, though with the rear seats down, it is still one of the better compact convertibles for travel and touring.
Standard features include: ambient lighting; a meter to record how long the top has been open; 16- or 17-inch alloy wheels, depending on trim level; multi-function computer; power accessories; remote entry; and tire pressure monitoring. Optional upgrades include the aforementioned appearance mods; a Premium package with automatic climate control, auto-dimming mirror, rain sensor and automatic headlights; a pair of Sport packages with wheels, stripes, and traction control upgrades; and a Technology package with MINI Connected or MINI Connected with navigation, a Harmon Kardon sound system, and rear park sensors.
As you'd expect, the MINI Convertible packs the usual modern safety gear, including stability and traction control, anti-lock brakes, and front and side airbags. A pop-up hoop system helps protect occupants in the event of a rollover. Neither the NHTSA nor IIHS has yet rated the 2012 MINI Cooper Convertible.
Call it what you want -- just don't call it boring. If you're struggling for a descriptor, call it a trailblazer, because the all-new 2012 Mini Coupe touts some significant brand firsts: It's the first Mini with room for only two; the first to have active aerodynamics, and the first to be engineered with what designers call a three-box structure. (More on this later.) And here comes the biggie: Nearly everything about this Mini -- particularly in sportier John Cooper Works form -- is honed specifically for "optimum performance" and supposedly entertains drivers "even better" than the rest of the lineup. In the flesh, the Mini Coupe is a car that makes you go, "Hmmm." Its design takes some getting used to, which isn't necessarily a good thing. But it is unmistakably Mini. Nothing can really prepare you for its smushed A-pillar, wraparound rear glass, and intriguing ba-donk-a-donk. (Yes, gentlemen, you can put a drink on this "Grand Turismo-style" booty and it won't topple over.) OK, I take that back. Maybe a Red Bull marketing car equipped with cute co-eds and a ginormous mock beverage could serve as adequate preparation. But that's about it.Like other similarly equipped Minis, the JCW edition dons a wardrobe fit for the circuit. Aggressive fascias fore, aft, and at its flanks replace the more sedate versions. Bigger 17-inch alloys, a 0.4-inch lower spring height, sturdier anti-roll bars, central exhaust, and bigger (12.4-inch front, 11.0-inch rear) brakes differentiate the Coupe from other siblings, while also upping its athleticism. An integrated roof spoiler set at the latter half of its contrasting "helmet" directs air down to an active rear spoiler that rises at 50 mph. Both provide 88 pounds of additional downforce while travelling at the Coupe's electronically limited 149 mph top speed. Having all that push to the ground has does have a negative effect, mostly in the form of a slightly higher drag coefficient that's up to 0.35 versus a slipperier 0.33 of the base Cooper hardtop. If you're wondering, no Coupe can be had with a color-matched helmet.First, it stands alone as a footwork master among a group of surefooted siblings. The sole act of applying power more effectively via stiffer, thicker, robust, mostly aluminum suspension components individualizes the two-seater from its other brandmates. Its miniscule 1.6-liter's all-too-familiar turbo lag (albeit minimal) continues its tenure, but once the thrilling 207 lb-ft of sub-2000 rpm overboost torque is dialed in, and the smooth power band gets tapped with 3000-rpm-plus six-speed Getrag throws, the zealous Coupe runs, jinks, and grips like nothing else bred in Oxford.Of course, the most fun is had with all nannies switched to their lowest settings, or off, and Sport mode engaged. (It remaps throttle response and provides a weightier Electronic Power Steering.) Speaking of nannies, there are quite a few to mention, including Dynamic Stability Control, Dynamic Traction Control, and Electric Differential Lock Control, all standard on the JCW. Amazingly, torque steer has been reduced to next-to-nil levels thanks to Mini's tinkerers.It's not often we agree with marketers, but of all the current-generation Minis, the JCW Coupe is the most entertaining Mini I've driven. It isn't its speed, everyday usability, or fashionable design that makes it so. Rather, the Coupe's high grip, punchy powered, and overexcited personality fused with usual Mini cheekiness earns it the title. It's the type of car that's sure to get most any driver's blood flowing, and one Mini you'll never want unbuckle from.Front engine, FWD, 2-pass, 2-door coupe 1.6L/208-hp/192-lb-ft turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4 
"Oh my god, is that for real? It's like a grown-up Big Wheel." "It's a Mini monster truck." The Mini Countryman elicits all sorts of responses from bystanders. So far, they're only positive, but at the same time you get the feeling no one takes the pint-sized crossover seriously. Other companies might cringe at the thought of their products being compared to toys, but Mini revels in it. A vehicle like the Countryman was never meant to be just another car; it's all fun all the time. 
Like other S model Minis, the Cooper S Countryman is powered by a 181-horspower 1.6-liter turbocharged I-4. Even with the added weight of All4 all-wheel-drive, the little crossover is still relatively quick. The six gears are a true pleasure to shuffle through and the tiny turbo keeps the car from ever feeling out of the power band. Testing shows a 0-60-mph time of 7.3 seconds, but the Mini is limited to 4500 RPM with the clutch in. (Apparently drivetrain preservation is a higher priority than rally car-style clutch-drop launches.) It can also run the quarter mile in 15.7 seconds and hit 89.1 mph in the traps. Again, impressive for such a small engine, but the time could be better if a more aggressive launch were allowed. The EPA says it will return 31 mpg on the highway, which is surprisingly high for a crossover, if that's what you consider it. 
Mini has always been known for building cars that are giant-killers on twisty roads. The Countryman may not chase down ZR1s with such ferocity, but it still feels like a Mini. Maybe more appropriately it feels like a Cooper S wearing Rollerblades. The steering feel and eagerness are recognizable from the smaller models, but everything is elevated. Not more or better, but literally elevated-by several inches vertically. Body roll isn't drastically increased, but because the center of gravity is higher everything is amplified. It just won't change directions as fast as a standard Cooper. The mass is always moving through bigger, higher arcs, and the longer wheelbase takes more space to rotate. Everything happens slower; it's a Cooper S on decaf. During figure-eight testing we steady-state lateral acceleration measured 0.86 g while recording a circuit time of 26.9 seconds, less than a half-second slower than a Volkswagen GTI and almost a half-second faster than the Nissan Juke. Motor Trend Rating: 
