The US specific numbers are in and the MINI Roadster is starting to look more interesting. As expected, the all important curb weight has been brought down on each model. For instance for the Cooper S, the Roadster is 66 lbs lighter than the MCS Convertible (2,745 lbs and 2,811 lbs respectively). In fact the R59 Roadster is only 9 lbs heavier than the Coupe on which it’s based. There are a few other surprises as well.

Many were concerned about potential headroom issues with the Roadster as compared with the seemingly larger Convertible. However the wizards at MINI have somehow managed to get an inch more headroom than the R57 Convertible. Shocking right? Here’s a quick comparison of a few MINI models to give you a better idea of how incredible this really is:

Front Headroom (in inches):

– Roadster: 39.6″
– Convertible: 38.4″
– Coupe: 38.4″
– Hatch: 38.8″

We’re following up with MINI on this just to verify. But for the time being, we’re assuming the official numbers are correct.

The Roadster is also faster with a BMW official 0-60 time of 6.3 versus 6.6 with the Convertible. And keep in mind that factory times from BMW and MINI are notoriously conservative.

Is it just us or the MINI Roadster starting to look better and better?

Full US Specifications

MINI Roadster Specifications (PDF)

Full Gallery