The R57: Seriously Always Open
MF Exclusive: MINI will be taking the “Always Open” slogan to new levels with the 2009 MINI Convertible. As part of the advertising strategy, MINI is developing a gauge in the car that will tell you the percentage of time you’ve had the roof down. The hope is that it will encourage owners to live the “open” lifestyle even further. Expect this gauge to be placed somewhere near the tachometer.
We’ve also learned that MINI will be leaving the top design essentially unchanged with one notable exception. Based on recent insider information (and backed-up by spy photos), MINI will be doing away with the roll-hoops seen in the R52. Instead we can expect a pop-up system similar to the one found on the BMW 3 Series convertible. Replacing the roll-hoops in favor of a pop-up system would go a long way in making the word “open” a bit more meaningful.
We’ll have more updates we the car gets closer to it’s Spring 2009 launch.
Popup rollbars on the MINI? Whooohooo! That would do so much for the car. Improved rear visiblity and a much cleaner look. Just the idea tempts me to go chop the rollbars off my cabrio…
But I wonder how much weight popups would add to the car. I’ve always assumed that was one reason they went with roll bars. And I hope it doesn’t decrease the already not so impressive rigidity of the cabrio.
I thought I’d stay with my 2006 MCSc for a while, but if this is true, I’ll be putting my deposit on a new 2009 MCSc as soon as possible.
Love the guage idea. Wonder if it would be integrated into the OBC?
The loss of the hoops should make the visibility better.
Wonder if the gauge will record only when the top is completely open or if it will track the sunroof open rate as well. Either way, I think it’s a really cool idea.
The gauge idea is ridiculous. It is also awesome. If I were a soft-top sort of guy and owned a Mini cabrio, that would be my absolute favorite feature of the car.
They need to track the Sport Button on the MCSs like this… now what would be very ‘type slick’.
<blockquote>MINI is developing a gauge in the car that will tell you the percentage of time you’ve had the roof down.</blockquote>It’s not April 1st today, is it?
I am currently driving a Convertible and one of the annoying features is that the roof does not fold down flush inside the boot. So it just sits on the back shelf area like a duvet cover. Surely it can be design to fold up into the car and allow a type of tonneau cover to be attached like old MG Midget and Triumph Spitfire.
Also a lack of vision caused by the large C pillar area causes blind spots. Could a side window be added?
Wasn’t it the BMW Z3 that had roll bars that popped up in accident emergency situations?
Does this mean the pass through will be gone too?
Also, there isn’t much space for any flatter folding of the top without omitting the rear seats.
I believe the Z3 and the Z4 have roll bars.
There is little doubt that it’s April 1!
It all sounds great to me- as an owner of an ’05 MCa Convertible, I try to keep that top open as much as possible… precipitation aside, closed is an unnatural state for Charlie (the MINI). I see WAY too many convertibles out there on sunny 80-85 days with their tops closed in favor of A/C. Get real, people! If you want to use the A/C all the time, get a hardtop. The ragtop is for making environment and motorer one, separating them only when absolutely necessary.
I think the gauge is a fun and neat little way of the car politely nagging at motorers to use their brains! I love it.
The rollbars, however… have become kind of characteristic of the car (much like the Z-folding mechanism, GregW), and I really do love them, especially in chrome… so, I’m not so sure how I feel about that. But hey, if it’s a MINI, it’s good in my book! Cheers and keep it open, people.
I LOVE the idea of a “Open Percentage” gauge. What a really neat idea
I love the idea of the ‘openness’ gauge and agree it would translate well to the sport button – and the sunroof for hardtops too.
The guage is a terrible idea. Here in Ireland it has pretty much rained all summer, I bought my Missus a Cabrio, and she’s been pretty annoyed at how much the roof has stayed up. It has taken everything in me to make her keep the car, and reassure her. If this guage idea comes in, and she upgrades to the next Cabrio MINI, she’ll have proof just how impractical a Cabrio is if you live in a poor climate.
Of the two possibilities (redesigned rollbar or pop-ups) the latter could be brilliant (the likely loss of pass-through would be the biggest concern) but the former would likely be a disaster. The ‘hoops’ over the rear seats in the current generation are pretty awkward, but it would seem that the only feasible way to improve visibility while maintaining a fixed rollbar would be to incorporate a higher, PT Cruiser style hoop in the back positioned above the window. And that would be an aesthetic disaster. Fingers crossed on pop-ups.
Pop roll bars ala BMW are a great idea, better visability, etc; but like a BMW it would mean the end of folding rear seats. Storage at best in the R52 is minimal. Folding seats permits for luggage, golf clubs and shopping at “Costco.” PDC is standard on the R52 for a reason.
<blockquote>it would seem that the only feasible way to improve visibility while maintaining a fixed rollbar would be to incorporate a higher, PT Cruiser style hoop</blockquote>
Except that it isn’t a roll bar, it’s an areodynamic element designed to make the rear seats less windy.
Yeah, Owen. It is one of life’s mysteries why sports cars are designed in Britain with soft-tops given that country has a minimal summer with sunny days!
On the other hand as the old song goes – “It never rains in California, but girl don’t they warn ya, it pours, man it pours”.
In response to a question somewhere above – some of the older Z3s had no roll bar or pop-up at all I believe. But later ones, and all the Z4s, had roll bars. Only the 3 series convertibles (and I’m sure the 6) had a popup system.
I don’t mind that it sits so high in the back. It’s height has no really bothered me. It’s better than taking up even more trunk space. I wish they’d make a larger rear window though. Or perhaps use some other kind of transparent material on more of the top that doesn’t age and crack and discolor like the clear plastic on cheap convertibles. Wouldn’t it be cool to use some kind of transparent fabric on the rear and the sides, perhaps even some of the top too?
Gauge=Gimmick. Hope MINI puts more thought into their future gauges. Functional things like water temp and oil pressure come to mind.
is that a picture of a naturally aspirated mini with a black-bar grille? they should do the same for the hardtop…i’ve decided that the hood scoop on the S is ugly, but the black bars go much better with the oversized (R56) grille than the silver can.
and as for the convertible itself, it looks clean. mini should also make the hinges cleaner on the tailgate, the sloppy hinges, in my opinion, made the R52 fairly ugly.
The rear visibility in our 05 Cabrio reminds me of the open wheel cars I used to race, except that you can see a portion straight behind in the Mini.
But the mirror placement in the Mini is perfect, and really you don’t need to use the center mirror. Most cars have the outside mirrors too far forwards to be really effective.
Second thing they teach at race driver school – use your mirrors!
<p>who knows to turn of air bag sign in mini cooper s type, after we install recaro seats.</p>