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By Jonathan Crouch

MINI's Convertible shows its serious side in John Cooper Works form. Jonathan Crouch reports.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 54

The MINI Convertible isn't the first place that keep drivers would look to get their thrills but in John Cooper Works form, it has unexpected potency. 231bhp from a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine equates to 0-62mph in 6.5s and a 150mph top speed. There aren't too many convertible cars under £30,000 which can top that.

Backgroundword count: 92

If you thought a MINI Convertible was mainly a car for cruising around the fashionable districts of our urban centres and looking good, possibly in a slightly limp wristed kind of a way, then think again. The MINI John Cooper Works Convertible is a turbocharged drop-top with real fire in its belly. MINI says it's the fastest small premium cabriolet in the world, which is a little like claiming to be the tallest one-armed unicyclist in north of Doncaster, but one tickle of the accelerator and you'll get what they're on about.

Driving Experienceword count: 228

The Convertible MINIs weigh around 120kg more than the hard-topped cars thanks to the roof mechanism and the strengthening measures employed to keep the body rigid in the absence of a fixed roof. This means that the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine has a little more work to do in the JCW Convertible than in the JCW Hatch but with 231bhp at its disposal, that shouldn't be too much of a problem. Performance-wise, the MINI JCW Convertible can sprint to 62mph in 6.5s which is 0.2s slower than the lighter hatchback car. The top speed is also down, but losing 3mph off a 150mph maximum isn't going to worry many prospective buyers. The peak torque output of the car is a hefty 320Nm. Just as important as the vigour with which the MINI JCW Convertible fires itself up the road are the measures it takes to stay on it. As standard, buyers get sports suspension optimised for high performance and agile turn-in response as well as precise steering. Another standard feature is the high-performance brake system developed exclusively for John Cooper Works models. Designed in collaboration with Brembo, the 4-piston fixed caliper disc brakes are particularly resistant to fade.  A 6-speed manual gearbox is standard, but as usual with MINI models, there's an 8-speed Steptronic auto transmission available as an option and you can change gear using steering wheel paddles.

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