Dueling personalities
Jekyll and Hyde move over. What you see before you is truly a car of two personalities. You would think I’m referring to MINI’s drop top. But you would be wrong. This car’s twin psyche comes courtesy of tuning of John Cooper Works.

The dueling temperament’s of this MINI transform this car into a mini (no pun intended) fire-breathing econo-box courtesy of the Sport button at the base of the six-speed shift lever. That sport button completely changes the car’s character. In some ways this is good, in others, not so much.

Convertible fun
First things first. This MINI is a convertible. Drop the top, don yourself in some chic designer sunglasses and cruise the beachfront. This car will get you more looks than a standard MINI because of its ability to go topless…if you’re into that sort of thing. Getting attention, I mean.

One slick characteristic of the convertible top is it’s sunroof feature. Or maybe it’s more akin to a targa top. The leading section over the two front seats will slide back allowing the two occupants to catch some sun without putting the top down completely. It, of course, is a little less windswept as well.

Does performance equal driving fun?
Maybe I should word the question, “Does HIGHER performance equal driving fun?” This may be an odd question but stop and think about it. A car’s drivability can suffer when the idea of performance trumps comfort in the name of better track numbers. This argument may bring out the MINI faithful as I think the enhancements made to this MINI are too much. Don’t get me wrong. This car was a blast to drive. And I think the market that BMW is targeting will be very happy with this car. They are the MINI faithful, the diehard fans of the brand, that are looking for more performance from their favorite car. They are true enthusiasts. Most of the auto buying public has no idea who John Cooper is, let alone why his name is on the back of this car. Those who do know will love this car.

For those who don’t get it though, this car’s ride is quite harsh. Some of it is the product of a car with a short wheelbase. The time I spent behind the wheel of the MINI Clubman was in some respects better. With the Clubman’s longer wheelbase, it just felt a little smoother on the road. Some of the Convertible’s ride characteristics may be attributed to chassis stiffening as a result of removing the cars roof. There was definitely some cowl shake especially on rough roads. But I think this is to be expected.

That SPORT button…
The John Cooper Works version of the MINI Convertible is powered by a 1.6-litre four-cylinder power unit complete with a twin-scroll turbocharger and direct fuel injection. Maximum output is 211 hp, which comes on at about  1,850 on up to 5,600 rpm, with peak torque of 192 lb-ft increasing briefly in the Overboost mode to 206 lb-ft. The Convertible tips the scales at 2,877 lbs. with a weight distribution of about 60/40.

In spirited driving, the MINI tracks well and will take to your favorite twisty back roads quite nicely. Keep your eye on the apex though because if you brake too late the car will understeer. But so do most cars. Get off the gas and the nose will tuck back in easily enough.

From a standstill, the MINI JCW Convertible accelerates to 60 mp/h in about 6.9 seconds and has a top speed of 146 mph.

The MINI’s six-speed manual transmission I found easy to row, even during spirited driving. Another tester thought it was a bit rubbery and not as precise as he would like. His daily driver is a Honda S2000 though which has a manual not unlike a bolt action rifle. No sloppiness there.

As I mentioned at the top of the article, the Sport button is a game-changer. It transforms a relatively tame economy car into Mr. Hyde. Steering becomes more precise, throttle response much quicker, setting your sensory perceptions of the car into overload. This is fun…too much fun. Watch for the cops and speed cameras because you’ll get nicked if you’re not paying attention.

Unfortunately, something else to pay attention to is torque steer. Don’t get on the gas without a firm hold of the wheel while Sport mode is on or it will be wrenched from your hands. Many auto makers tangle with this problem. Maxing out horsepower in combination with front wheel drive means a battle with physics.

The MINI interior
MINI’s interiors are in a word, quirky. I understand the desire to be different. I even understand the need to match the car’s ‘cute’ exterior with something unique on the inside.

For example, I’ve never understood the pie-sized speedo other than it incorporates the display for the various audio controls; i.e., stereo, bluetooth, etc. In a word, it’s huge. And with it mounted in the center of the dash, I found myself wanting to lean over to check my speed. Fortunately, the MINI’s cruise control includes a digital display behind the wheel making it easy to set a speed and forget it.

The front seats are reasonably bolstered, comfortable and do a good job of holding you during agressive driving. The back seat functions well as a parcel shelf but really shouldn’t be used for people. Quite simply, there’s no leg room back there, especially with tall drivers and front passengers. Small children will love sitting back there, especially when the top is down, but will need to sit cross-legged to get their feet off the floor.

MINI competition is growing
With the economy such as it is and the demand for smaller cars in the U.S. steadily growing, competition for the MINI is building. Fiat will be sending their 500 stateside later this year. In fact, it would be loads of fun to do a comparo between this MINI and a Fiat 500 Abarth SS. Maybe at some point we’ll get that chance once the 500 hits our shores.

The new Ford Focus looks promising as well, looking sporty as ever and should be a little roomier than the MINI. And it should be priced better as well.

The MINI faithful
I would love to hear from MINI owners regarding this or any of the MINI models. Ridestory readers would be interested in knowing what you think of the car. Do you like it more or less after driving it for a while? Do you recommend the car to friends and family? Let us all know in your comments below.