The MINI Cabrio In Person

Sections: Uncategorized Mar 30th, 2004 30 Comments

Greetings from the UK!

p>While waiting for a friend who works for MINI in Oxford to come and pick us up for a quick run to a country pub – something quite unexpected showed up. In fact it was the car just ahead of him. The Cooper Cabrio was being driven by an employee doing a long term test. It had over 1000 miles on it and was missing some of it's interior bits (for the final engineering process most likely) but otherwise in final production trim. The person doing the testing was simply on his way home probably to put it in his garage for the night.

Regardless he was more than happy to let me not only take photos but to crawl inside and really experience it first hand.

p>One of the most impressive things I think people will find is that with the A-pilars are so far out ahead (as on all MINIs) on the car that you really get the feel that you are in an open top car. With cars like the 3 series convertible the top of the A-pilar is over your head giving you the forward view of a standard fixed roof car. With the MINI Cabrio you get a much more “open air feeling”. Really quite something different.

Here are some other things I noticed or found out about the Cabrio:

The Hot Orange is quite nice in person. It looks a little more subdued and less metallic in a mostly cloudy day.
The other thing you notice in person is the roof-line is noticeably lower than the fixed roof car.
In an effort to give the Cabrio more structural integrity the door frames are approximately 3 millimeters thick while the standard cars makes due 1 millimeter steel.
The MINI uses 2 pulse welding when it comes to the Cabrio. This is also in an effort to battle the obvious effects of cutting the roof off of a car.

I've also managed to see an all black Cooper Cabrio on the A34 heading south from Oxford. And to give you a sneak peak at my upcoming Oxford Plant tour story I actually saw about every color cabrio in various states of production. Several including a Chili Red Cooper completely finished. Let me be the first to say the red interior looks amazing.

Here are the photos of our chance meeting lastnight: Photo Gallery.

Written By: MF Staff

http://www.matthewgifford.com/ Matt G.

That's really cool, Gabe.

I still don't like that center gauge.
Patrick Crowley

Thanks Gabe for keeping up on all you came across! The only problem is the more I look at one the more I want it! I'm gonna be in debt forever!!!
http://www.northamericanmotoring.com David Bunting

Nice pics.

I'm looking forward to the plant tour.

One of these days hopefully someone can get a tour of the PORTS. Then we'd have the plant, the port, and the VPC.
R

Glad to see they moved the flat tire light and added the coin tray, love the tach & speedo above the steering wheel and would kill for the new instrumentation. Also wondered what the little buttons on each side of the mirror switch is, maybe heated seats?… Looks like there are a lot of blind spots…..R
http://www.gbmini.net Ian Cull

Excellent Gabe; you got lucky!? Looking forward to pics from inside the factory – they would not allow “mere mortals” like me to take a camera on the tour ;)
http://www.motoringfile.com/ Gabriel Bridger

Ian: I couldn't take photos either but there was plenty of time to take pics of the red cabrio – I just didn't want to risk it. Especially with all those other cabrio pics on my SD card :)

I did recieve at least one nice little present from someone at MINI – the newly updated shift knob! The leather stitching is now reversed so it's a much smoother feel.
alex

yuck- don't like the new gauges! Using that giant center one just for oil and gas seems like a waste… I like the big ol' center speedo- and isn't it the tradition? And yes- those look like the seat heater buttons.
R

This question has nothing to do with the Cab but does anybody know where to get the rims that were used on the mini's for the Italian Job?………R
http://www.gbmini.net Ian Cull

I think they were the R90 rims, available from MINI dealerships – big bucks ($1395)!
Vanwall
Hehe! Way to go, Gabe, you found a loose Cabrio with no Factory goons around! It looks better in those shots, except the headlites – they look like a missile-launcher on a Huey-Cobra. I still wish it was a 2-seater, tho.
```
   BCNU,
Rob in dago
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http://www.whatderekdoes.com derek

gabe – we're saving up some serious 'rag-top' work here at work for ya. Although I have to say that I'm recommending my dad hold out for a ragtop when the insurance money comes in…
dw

What a nice surprise to met up with a such a friendly MINI maker. He may well be the best sales person MINI has. The cabrio is beginning to grow on me. It still has an unfinished exterior design appearance; something is definitely missing, something that will open up the blind spots making the exterior coherent. The center guages is designed nicely but may take a while to accept.
Randolph Lee

Thanks for the snaps Gabe, What was the reason for the pink food wrap on the lights and all the blockage about the Front plate and grills… can't still need to camouflage it, can they?
http://www.motoringfile.com/ Gabriel Bridger

I think it was camo left over form a couple weeks ago when it hadn't been officialy released.
Arthur Lee

Thanks Gabe for the info on the Cabrio. In my opinion this is the most interesting of all of the Mini sites.
Claus Gattinger

Gabe,

Looks like you're havin' a good time in England!

I got an official message from Mini Austria that the MCS convertible will be available at least this autumn. So I'm already startin' to count my money!
Brian

Hey Gabe, hope you're having a fun trip. Post a pic of the new shift knob when you have a chance, svp. Cheers, Brian
R

Thanks Ian, I'll ck and see. Price is no object, HA!….Derek, very cool website……R
R

Thanks Ian, they are the R90 style. I just ck'd the movie….R
Philip

Hey….any chance of getting a glimpse of upcoming MSC models or mods???

Cheers Philip
greatgro

I want those oil gauges although not there! But give me oil pressure and temp – please!
http://eal.us Eric Longman

Curious that you ran across a MINI Cabrio in England that's LEFT HAND DRIVE! Was this a US-spec car??
Josh

Could be a German spec
Josh

Most likely the case, cause the US spec would have MPH
Gilbert

Gabe, A friend of mine said that they have Mini Limousine would you get some pic. Thanks
kaye Martell

Thanks so much for helping us in america get a good look! My firend had already put a deposit on one, sight unseen! I'm forwarding your website to her so she will now know what she's getting. I will probably join her!!!
http://www.teamMINI.net Nick

I have to say it, that car is fugly. But i'm glade that made it, it is something that will really sell.
Jan

Thanks for the pics Gabe but do you know if tan will be a top cover color choice?
http://www.motoringfile.com/ Gabe

Tan will not be an option for the top.
JAG

I saw today the Mini Cabrio in person and it is really nice, I was surprised how well the roof looks. It is going to be a killer. Photos does not do justice compare to car in person. The interior is also very nice, an area that the Mini has failed to excel. I can't wait to get my hands on a Red one!!

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