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The Mini is a kick anyway because it is small, responsive and reasonably priced, so dropping the top and scooting around in the fresh air is a blast. Prices start at $21,550 for the Cooper and $24,900 for the Cooper S. The Mini Cooper is owned by BMW and built in England.

A transversely mounted, 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine drives the front wheels in the same configuration as the original Mini Cooper from the 1960s. The standard, 115-horsepower Cooper is peppy, but the 168-horse Cooper S has a lot more beans and is clearly the car that enthusiasts will prefer. That is the one I drove.

The standard model is available with either a five-speed manual or a CVT automatic transmission, while the Cooper S has a six-speed manual. Both manual gearboxes are new this year.

The Mini handles like a grown-up go-kart. The steering is quick and direct, you can shift gears with a flick of the wrist, and when you attack corners like a cat chasing a mouse, the Mini retains its composure.

The droptop Mini is not a hatchet job, but a sophisticated convertible whose fully automatic power top can be opened partway, like a sunroof, or all the way, at the touch of a button. The folded top stacks neatly behind the back seat and infringes very little on the already small trunk.

The rear seats have aluminum hoops integrated into the headrests for rollover protection, and they are tall enough to spoil rear vision even with the top down. You’ll have to be especially adept at using the outside mirrors, and backing out of parking spots requires much greater care. Rear bumper parking sensors are standard, in part because it is hard to see out the back.

Like the hardtop Mini, the convertible does not have a bulkhead between the back seat and the trunk. The trunk is truly tiny, but the back seat folds forward for additional luggage space.

The Mini’s trunk lid opens out like a tailgate, and the bottom of the top pivots up a few inches to facilitate loading large items.

Though the Mini is technically a four-seater, legroom in back is suitable for kids at best. If you’re driving on the highway, a detachable wind blocker snaps in place over the back seat and helps negate wind buffeting in the cabin.

The Mini’s tachometer is directly behind the steering wheel while a large speedometer is mounted in the center of the dash. The test car was equipped with the optional instrument package that houses both a speedometer and tachometer behind the steering wheel. The large space in the center of the dash now holds three smaller instruments arrayed like a watch chronometer.

Toggle switches for the power windows, door locks and fog light are mounted on the center of the dash.

The Mini’s standard cup holders are small and won’t hold anything larger than a soda can. A larger auxiliary cup holder has been fitted to the dash, but it is awkward and out of place.

The front-wheel-drive Mini Cooper, built in England, has been a sales success. BMW sold 32,000 in this country the first year and 36,000 last year. Five hundred thousand have been sold worldwide. The company expects the convertible to account for about one-third of next year’s American sales.

Clever marketing is part of the story as well. For example, each person who buys a Mini convertible is asked to sign a tongue-in-cheek contract agreeing to drive with the top down at least 90 percent of the time. The contract grants exceptions for “rain, car washes, hair plug surgery and being within earshot of a kazoo concert.”

After driving a convertible for a week, I can see that honoring the agreement wouldn’t be hard at all.

Engine: 1.6-liter, 168-hp 4-cyl.

Transmission: Six-speed

Front-wheel drive

Wheelbase: 97.1 inches

Curb weight: 2,844 lbs.

Base prices: $24,900

As driven: $30,220

MPG: 25 city, 32 hwy.

At A Glance

Point: BMW has done a nice job of making a convertible out of the Mini Cooper coupe while maintaining the fun-to-drive properties of the car. The power top can be opened partially, like a sunroof, or all the way. The body structure is fairly solid and flexes very little.

Counterpoint: It’s hard to see over the tall rear seat and roll hoops, and some of the internal switches could feel more substantial.