Arriving when the weather's right, the 2016 MINI Cooper Convertible will be available in March.
The BMW group will soon be offering Cooper and Cooper S trims variants next year, which is about two years after the Hardtop update and the Clubman introduction.
When spring has sprung, motorists can drop the top on the 2016 Convertible while traveling at speeds of up to 18 mph. The transition to topless, including lowering the windows, takes about 18 seconds.
When a rollover threatens to turn a drive tragic, the Convertible's two rollover protection bars will deploy to protect the occupants and prevent the car from flipping over. The first of its kind, a pyrotechnical trigger deploys the high-strength aluminum bars in less than 150 milliseconds.
As for its body design, this MINI is a little less mini than its predecessor – 4.5 inches longer, 1.7 inches wider and 0.8 inches taller.
"The car's evolutionary design advancements strike a harmonious balance between elegance and sporty flair, expressing a distinctive character in both the exterior and interior that has matured markedly as compared to the predecessor model," says the BMW Group.
All three of the 2016 versions will use the same engines as did the hardtops before it.
"With the three-cylinder Cooper version and four-cylinder Cooper S, the new MINI Convertible presents customers a choice of two powerful, highly efficient TwinPower Turbo engines developed by the BMW Group and built in Europe," says the BMW Group.
Customers can think about which of the 11 exterior colors, including the recently added Caribbean Aqua, to choose. Although, pricing won't be announced until January 2016.
"The new MINI Convertible has a great balance of playful personalization and sophistication. It's open-top driving without compromise," says David Duncan, vice president MINI of the Americas. "The bespoke levels of customization set it apart from other convertibles on the market, while the front wheel drive BMW architecture and engines make it fun-to-drive and practical in any driving conditions."
