2012 Mini Roadster: Up Close

More 2012 Detroit Auto Show Coverage

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I was most interested in the operation of the Roadster’s manual soft-top. There’s still good headroom for taller drivers like myself when the top is up, and it unlatches from the windshield frame with a twist of a center handle. You have to twist your arm a bit when letting the top fall, but it’s possible to lower the roof in a few seconds with one hand when sitting in the driver’s seat. That’s just not possible in many convertibles these days with the proliferation of slower, albeit powered, tops.