Test Drive: 2010 Mini Cooper S Convertible JCW

Fuel economy is not this car’s forte, but under regular civilized driving conditions the car is capable of respectable numbers (7.8 L/100km City; 5.7 L/100 km Highway). A heavy throttle and spirited driving will obliterate these figures, but having to spend a little more time and money at your local gas station is a small price to pay for the huge fun-factor this smile-generating machine delivers when you choose to play.

2010 Mini Cooper S convertible JCW. Click image to enlarge

Sensory wise, the top down experience transforms this car into a whole different vehicle, as you’re bombarded by the sounds of the car and the world around you as well as the buffeting of wind and the warmth of the sun. The novel top design allows the front section to be retracted like a large sunroof should a shortage of time or need for security keep you from retracting the car’s roof structure completely. Full deployment is a one- touch operation and happens in short order.

On the downside, the car’s compact size left designers no place to hide the top, so an accordion of canvas remains stacked on the rear deck like over-sized shoulder pads on a peewee football player. This also creates a significant blind-spot that hindered even my vision rearward, and I stand six-foot-two inches tall! Unfortunately, visibility to the rear is poor with the top in place as well, as the fabric rear pillars are enormous, and the rear window is miniscule.

If you are in the market for a compact car that is equally at home commuting to the city as it is tearing up the track, then look no further than the fastest Mini ever produced, the Mini Cooper John Cooper Works. Buyers choosing the convertible unit like my test car will likely develop frown lines from all the smiling this car induces, but your social life will undoubtedly improve.

As an added bonus, pricing has been adjusted for 2010, resulting in a significant $1,900 reduction in the car’s MSRP, helped in part by revising the ordering process to permit items like metallic paint, the sport suspension and the aerodynamic package to be offered as stand-alone options.