Is it fun? It’s a hoot. That go-kart handling for which MINIs have long been famed is strongly in evidence here. This little car has enough power to munch miles on a motorway for any company car driver, but you’ll find yourself scouring the satnav for a turn-off with a twisty road nearby. Just for the fun of putting your foot down through the corners.
Yes, but isn’t the hood semi-manual? True, but it is also semi-automatic. You start the opening sequence by twisting a handle to unlatch the hood from the windscreen. Then press the right button and the top motors back and locks itself down above the boot.
Hang on, drought-ridden UK is actually quite a wet place – it rains on average one day in two. That’s true, but the hood can be raised very rapidly too
Any drawbacks?
Fewer than you get with this car’s older brother, the four-seater MINIConvertible company car comparison. That looks like a superannuated pram with the hood down, because of the raised hump it leaves at the back, The Roadster is much more cleverly designed, to have a stylish flat-deck look with the top open. Roof up, your backward vision through the rear view mirror is pretty poor, like peering through the mouth of a letter box. It’s a good reason to drive with the top down as often as possible.
