It might have arrived a little late but it's finally here. It's called cute, sweet, beautiful, a giant slayer and then some. ZigWheels tells you what it feels like to "Be Mini"

Going hard through the corners, the Convertible felt extremely stable. Agility was pretty much what you expect from a sportscar with a very responsive and direct steering feel. The Cooper S felt even crispier and is an absolute stand out whether on a serpentine road or just darting through the city. The down side is a rather firm ride, especially with larger wheels fitted. And when the bad sections of the road arrive, the S feels like a fish out of water with every thud filtering in the cabin and upsetting the car as well. While the Cooper S makes no bones about its sportscar character, it’s the Convertible which is more balanced of the two. The damping is much better and the Convertible takes potholes much much better than the hardcore S.

Performance meets Efficiency

Amazing fuel efficiency was the original Mini’s reason of being and the new car does not disappoint either. The Convertible batted out 7.6 kmpl in town with the aircon on at all times while the figure rose to a very respectable 13.4 kmpl on the highways. The 6-speed autobox makes all the difference.

The S on the other hand gave out 8.4 kmpl in the cut and thrust of traffic and a slightly lesser 12.6 kmpl on the highways. The extra grunt in the S makes sure you don’t use the throttle too much in town and as a result ekes out better efficiency than the Convertible. However since the S makes all that power at a 1000 revs lower than the Convertible, on the highway it is a wee bit thirstier than the drop top courtesy the slightly busier engine.

For the Enthusiast only!

While a key factor in the original cars success was its price, the new car is anywhere but a value for money buy. At Rs. 28.6 lakh for the Cooper S and Rs. 30.7 lakh for the Convertible both ex-showroom Delhi, the Mini’s come across as fashion statements only for the enthusiast or the well heeled. But if you’re in the market for a retro modern, the MINI offers the most variant options compared to its counterparts like the VW Beetle and the Fiat 500. It’s practical too with both the Convertible and the Cooper S swallowing four adults with a little bit of discomfort.

If ‘Fun’ is a major criteria in your idea of motoring, then these Mini’s simply have no competition. Fun under the sun or some serious performance, both these cars are an absolute laugh each and every time you get behind the wheel.