Golden MINI

The MINI celebrates its 50th birthday this year. And the 2009 MINI Cabrio, which is in a class of its own, bears testimony to its colourful history, says Philip Shane.

A little history to begin with about one of motoring history's most unique cars the MINI.

The MINI came into being during a fuel crisis in the 1950s in 1959 in the UK when big cars with big fuel tanks were becoming unpopular. The intention of the Mini's creators was to make a car with minimum external dimensions, capable of seating four people in comfort, super fuel economy, great driving characteristics at an affordable price. This is how the British Motor Corporation set out to create this legendary car. Most of it holds true to this day. The price of the MINI has indeed gone up, but then so has the build quality and overall finesse and appeal.

The first MINI had an 848cc engine that was mounted sideways to save space and 10in wheels. The car measured only 3.05m in length making it really easy to park. It had a price tag of £496 and was perfect for low-budget couples. Seatbelts and side mirrors were optional extras!

MINIs started to become a sensation when celebrities like Mick Jagger and the Beatles were seen driving around in them. Then towards the mid-1960s when the rock culture was taking shape in Europe, this little car kind of blended into the times and made a statement that was quite unique and unseen in the motoring world until then, particularly after John Cooper created the legendary MINI Cooper in the second half of 1961. He was the mastermind behind the evolution of the economic compact car into a performance car for motorsports. The MINI Cooper then went on to win three Monte Carlo races by 1967 and even featured in the 1969 movie Italian Job bolstering its image even further.

The Clubman, which was 11cm longer than the original was introduced in 1969 and still contributes the DNA for the modern day MINIs. These cars in various highlights sporty to trendy entered and left the market over the years and by 2000 more than 5.3 million units had been produced in the UK. In 2001, the BMW group relaunched the classic MINI and a whole new era of super modernised MINIs emerged keeping the instantly recognisable looks of the classics intact. The first MINI Cabrio was introduced in 2004 and powerful engines were put into the modern MINIs.

Fifty years into its existence, these little cars, now part of BMW, still don't fail to impress.

The 2009 Cabrio which was given to me for a test drive is a combination of MINI's legendary design concepts and BMW's innovation entwined to perfection. The new Cabrio comes with two doors and a soft 'electrohydraulic' retractable roof, which also features a sliding option if one would like to keep the roof on with just the partial open effect of a sunroof. Driving this car with the roof down is quite an experience. Not only does it make a lot of heads turn, but it's like wearing a yellow jacket and red jeans to a corporate meeting.

The Cooper S version of the Cabrio comes with a 1.6-litre twin scroll turbocharged engine that produces 175 horsepower and 240Nm of torque which is able to take it from a 0 100km/h in 7.4 seconds and is capable of a top speed of 222km/h. Handling this little beast is great fun and the short wheel base adds to the stability and curve tackling ability. BMW's influence in the overall design and handling is quite evident from the build quality to the steering response. The Cabrio also features BMW's Brake Energy Regeneration concept for better energy conservation and efficiency. The Cabrio comes with all the vehicle stability options available on modern roadsters and also has run-flat tyres with tyre defect indicators.

Space inside the Cabrio is quite abundant though the deceptive exteriors give one the illusion of a cramped interior. Space management has always been a speciality of the MINI and it continues to do so in its modern versions. The rear seats can be individually folded to make room for a reasonable amount of luggage.

On the safety front, in addition to the airbags in all necessary locations, the Cabrio also features the much required single roll bar which slides up automatically when the car detects an imminent roll over.

Fuel efficiency has also been given a lot of consideration, with the 2009 Cabrio being 23 per cent more efficient than its predecessors. Go-Kart drivers would relate well to the kind of driving that the MINI loves to boast.

The Dynamic Stability Control combined with the upgraded suspension and the automatic six-speed transmission makes the Cabrio an unassumingly fun car to drive. It's quite obvious that it isn't out to compete with the beasts like a Lilliputian in the land of Gullivers, but is out to make a completely different kind of statement about great build quality and a great driving experience which is rare these days with most car manufacturers cutting down on quality and focusing on expressionless designs.

What kind of audience would a car like the MINI be targeting? I really don't know. But what I do know is that I would love to own one. Not for particular reasons or comparative results over other small cars, but for the simple reason that it's always been one of a kind and it still continues to be.

The chances of a MINI replacing a large utility-based sedan are slim, but buying one just for the fun of it is where I think this car sells. And like Kurt Cobain famously said on his T-shirt: "With enough talent, you can dress like a nerd."

Happy 50th birthday!