MINI celebrates its 25th year under the BMW umbrella, and one of the best examples of the modern MINI era is the Cooper S Convertible that packs all the goodies from the fourth-generation redesign introduced two years ago.
"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," says Stefan Richmann, head of the MINI brand, in a press release.
Sticking to a tried-and-true formula, the styling is just different enough to indicate something is different while remaining distinctly recognizable. The familiar circular LED headlamps have fresh signature daytime running light elements, and the even-shorter overhangs and larger octagonal grille further reinforce the car’s resemblance to a street-legal go-kart. The vertical taillights are slightly slimmer in proportion, and the spelled-out Cooper lettering found above the license plate provides a touch of elegance.
In a somewhat polarizing move, the traditional instrument cluster has been deleted, and all information is now relocated to the round central display. That in itself is not a huge issue; however, given the limited real estate, shoehorning in extra content at the top of the 9.4-inch screen, with a virtual navigation bar at the bottom, means everything appears rather small.
The power fabric top is rather clever in that it can be fully stowed in the trunk for maximum sunshine intake, or there’s also a 16-inch partially-open setting still affording an open-air driving feel—much more so than a conventional sunroof.
Note when the roof is fully down—the process taking 18 seconds from start to finish at speeds up to 30 km/h—the normally 215-liter-capacity luggage compartment shrinks to a paltry 160 liters, making fitting things like a cooler bag a challenging affair. In the closed position, the blind spots are robust—at least blind spot detection is a standard, unlike previous versions where the feature was missing entirely. In addition, taller folks may find themselves having to peek under the sun visor at traffic lights to see when the light turns green.
The convertible comes in three performance flavors, with the S nestled between the entry grade and the high-performance JCW variant. The 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder outputs 201 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque, mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, which allows the car to feel super quick off the line but be prepared for some torque steer at the front wheels on aggressive launches.
Even though the soft top Cooper has less structural rigidity and more weight than the hatchback, the difference in handling precision will be imperceptible to most, thanks to the sporty suspension and additional bracing.
After a decade of being assembled at various facilities around Europe, the MINI Cooper S Convertible production recently returned to the Oxford facility in England. MSRP for the 2026 model starts at $47,990.
Highlights (base):
MSRP: $47,990
Motor: 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder
Horsepower: 201 @ 5,750 rpm
Torque (lb-ft): 221 @ 1,450 rpm
Gearbox: seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Layout: front-wheel drive
Fuel economy: 10.8 L/100 km (observed combined city and highway)
