Starting from the line Hotel on Wilshere Boulevard, we drive to Griffith Observatory overlooking the vast expanse of los Angeles and the famous Hollywood sign. The drive may not be one where you drive the car like an overage hooligan, but one where you enjoy the spectacular vistas and views afforded by a perfect day in Southern California.
Turning off the famous Sunset Boulevard and onto Mulholland Drive in the Hollywood Hills district, where the million dollar homes of the rich and famous of this showbiz city are linked on a wonderful strip of tarmac, the Mini Convertible raises few eyebrows, even though it is the latest generation model. Because Southern California is ‘Mini Country’; an odd aberration in a country where gigantic pick-up trucks rule the driveway.
BMW engineers had made several changes on the third-generation Mini when they launched the car two years ago. The new Mini is bigger, both wider and longer and came with more efficient small engines. All these changes carried on to the Convertible variant, which in addition also got a new all-electric roof which can operate even when the car is moving at 30 kilometres per hour and does so quietly and efficiently. Interestingly, this new Mini Convertible also has a surprisingly large luggage space in its drop-down boot.
But one of the greatest virtues of being a drop-top car is the fact that on a day when the sun is shining and with an empty road as Mulholland Drive becomes the open expanse of the Mulholland Highway that connects los Angeles via the mountain roads to Malibu you feel the world is your oyster. And as you come down the mountain towards California State Highway 1, the legendary Pacific Coast Highway, the breeze from the Pacific just envelopes you in a way it never can in a regular closed car.
A small detour through the mountains before the coastal highway on Decker Road opens up with stunning vistas of the ocean and also makes you realise that sometimes the speed limits in America are a bit ridiculous. Then again, when you are in the only car around for miles and with stunning views like these, you really don’t want to drive too fast.
However, if you want to press the pedal down, the Mini responds with aplomb. Then again, this is the Cooper S edition with all the bells and whistles, most important of which is a two-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 230 horsepower on tap. But convertibles are a fine balancing act because the car loses the roof structure and the middle (B) and rear (C) pillars, it loses a lot of its rigidity. To counterbalance this, car engineers add extra stiffening to the car floor.
Unfortunately, the additional stiffening makes convertibles suffer on the performance front. Yet, the BMW engineers who worked on the Mini have done a fabulous job, which is why they were confident enough to send us on a twisty road. Sweeping turns while acceleratingIJ Done. Sharp cutbacks while maintaining a proper driving lineIJ Done. The Mini convertible benefits here by being so small because it just makes it so much more fun to drive.
Out here, the Mini seems perfect to drive down for a lovely seafood lunch at The Sunset Restaurant on Zuma Beach, Malibu. The surf crashes down on this wonderful stretch of coastline, 10-feet waves attract surfers despite the chilly waters in February. The food, like the car, is perfect for the occasion. The grilled octopus and lobster benedict just set the stage for a wonderful meal of seared Branzino, the produce off the coast of America is just as great as the roads in this part of the country.
Returning to the city on the relatively straight Pacific Coast Highway, the larger American cars, even the ones made in Germany, are usually sold only in ‘large’ in the United States and made the Mini feel positively tiny. Yet, even this small little car is reminiscent of its smaller predecessor in this land of giants. It skips through the traffic, the small engine responds to inputs quickly and gets the car up to speed quickly. Think of leo Messi dribbling through defenders.
A day like today, the top down on such a wonderful sunny day in a brilliant little car, these are days you thank god for being so fortunate for doing what you do. The perfect car for a perfect day.
The Mini Convertible, though in India, will be quite expensive, kitted out with options such as the lED lights and the heads-up display, this Convertible variant could cost upwards of Rs40 lakh. And to be honest, other than a couple of days in a year, the weather in most Indian cities is far too poor to keep a convertible. los Angeles is considered ‘smoggy’, but as recent events have shown, nothing can beat Delhi. And the Mini Convertible will be the cheapest car with a retractable roof as it will most likely be priced below the Audi A3.
So on most days, driving a convertible, even one as peppy and responsive as this little car is pointless in India. But for those few days, this car will make you feel great. Great in a way that no other car can. This Mini is a fun, fun car. And of course, if you find yourself in Southern California, go drive the new Mini Convertible and you will probably be sold on this car. And the concept of a topless car!