HIGH ROAD

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Mini’s NEW-LOOK John Cooper Works convertible puts the thrill back in driving

By Howard Walker

Cars have gotten so serious. All lane-departure warnings and advanced driver-assist, all active braking and automatic lane-centering. Engage autopilot in a Tesla and it’s no wonder drivers fall asleep at the wheel.

Yes, it’s about keeping you safe and secure. But all this automotive nannying tends to make driving about as much fun as watching paint dry.

That’s why, before we all start getting piloted around in our autonomous, self-driving, electric SUVs, you need a Mini—especially a Mini convertible. And for more smiles than a can of laughing gas, opt for the adorable Mini John Cooper Works convertible.

This is the most hilarious, grin-inducing, endorphin-packed bundle of testosterone-enriched joy I’ve driven in ages. And that includes 200-mph supercars and thundering 700-horsepower sedans.

Here is a true analog car in a digital world, a throwback to the Swinging ’60s. It is pure Michael Caine in The Italian Job and Austin “Shagadelic” Powers. Yeah, baby.

The instant you slide behind the wheel, toggle the switch that whizzes the canvas roof back in 18 seconds, pull the shift into drive, and hit it, you just can’t help but smirk. It’s a feeling akin to being a kid on Christmas morning or getting your first puppy.

This pint-sized pocket-rocket transforms every mundane trip—dry cleaners, here we come—into a thrill ride. It’s the surgical precision of the steering, the tightness of the suspension, the superglue-like grip of the tires. There are go-karts that don’t feel this nimble or alive.

While the base Mini convertible comes with a turbocharged 3-cylinder motor packing a meager 134-horsepower (which, come on, there are Toro ride-on mowers with more power) it’s the John Cooper Works you’ll want. Its feisty 2-liter turbo 4-cylinder cranks out 228 horses. Coupled to a quick-shifting 8-speed automatic, it’ll slingshot the drop-top from standstill to 60 mph in a zippy 6.3 seconds.

In case you’re wondering about that John Cooper Works badge, it’s an homage to the legendary British racer John Cooper. Back in 1961, he spruced up the very first Mini to create

POWER FILE

the Mini Cooper and built racing versions that dominated motorsports for decades.

In our Zesty Yellow JCW convertible—a new color for 2022—the Cooper connection means an extra 39 horsepower, a sports exhaust that delivers a symphony of lovely crackles and pops, sports suspension and Brembo brakes, and eye-popping 18-inch JCW Track Spoke alloys. You also get some body add-ons, like that horizontal red bar across the front grille and a bold rear diffuser.

Inside there are JCW paddle shifters and a salami-thick napa leather wheel, plus grippy sports seats with extra side and under-thigh bolstering. Delve into the options list to customize your Cooper with everything from a full body kit and two-tone paint to adjustable suspension and even a Union Jack flag woven into the canvas top.

Yes, there’s a compromise or two. The tradePRICE: FROM $38,900 off for that no-roll cornering is a ride that’s pretty ($45,750 AS TESTED) firm and fidgety. In sport mode, the front wheels

ENGINE: 2.0-LITER

will struggle for grip when you hit the gas as

TURBO 4-CYLINDER

red lights turn green. And if you’re planning on

TRANSMISSION: 8-SPEED

sharing the fun with friends, that rear seat is fairly

AUTOMATIC POWER: 228

tight on knee room. In fact, it’s best used for ex-

HP TORQUE: 235 LB-FT

tra luggage space to compensate for the teeny

0-60: 6.3 SECONDS TOP

SPEED: 150 MPH LENGTH/ trunk. Plus, regardless of whether the top is up WIDTH: 153/68 INCHES or down, rear visibility is also a challenge. WEIGHT: 3,143 POUNDS But I love this car. I adore the way it makes WHY WE LOVE IT: BECAUSE every trip a blast, the open-air feel, and the look. IT’LL REMIND YOU THAT You’ll pay $38,900 for a 2022 JCW convertDRIVING CAN STILL BE FUN. ible, but you’ll want to add the $6,000 Iconic trim package to get upgraded navigation and the head-up display, along with dynamic damper control and a booming Harman/ Kardon stereo. All totaled, you’re looking at around $46,000 very nicely loaded. As for putting the fun back in driving and a huge smile on your face? Priceless. «Absolutely priceless.

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