Clarkson Reviews the New MINI Convertible
And we’re going to let the man speak for himself…
>visibility when the roof is up is woeful. It’s like sitting in a postbox. The only people who can get in the back are those who have stepped on a bomb and the boot is miserable.
>And yet, despite all this, it remains a great little car to own. Because the style — and there’s tons of it — buries the substance, it doesn’t feel, or look, like anything else on the road. You therefore get to stand out without actually being in a lay-by trying to make a fan belt from plaits of pubic hair. The only trouble is that the new Cooper S rag top costs £19,000. The car I tested with something called the Chili pack was £21,205. And I’m sorry but if all you want to do is stand out while driving something new, it’d be impossible to ignore — or resist — the £13,605 Fiat 500 Abarth.
And there it is. You can read more here. But be warned, as is customary Clarkson style, the review is opened with a page or two of rambling about arcane references to 1970s British politicians or broad generalizations. My favorite actually comes on page one of this “review”. Look for it.
+ MINI Cooper S Convertible / Times
<p>The first two pages of the article is entertaining and better than the review. The review is quite short and limited, more of an opinion than a true review. What’s more interesting are the links to articles of MINI’s past, like the production of the 1,000,000 Mini from 1965, which can be found on the left side of the web page.</p>
<p>What a bunch of TWADDLE!</p>
<p>JC is a relic of some bygone age of polyester wearing twits, gotta love him though, his “Hot and Not” lists on Top Gear prove that! I’m surprised he didn’t somehow put in a few digs about “Fat Americans” as if he and that other goof James May are in Twiggy’s class. The man can surely drive though.</p>
<p>Could have pretty much given the same review of the previous generation convertible (which I own by the way). Maybe it’s just because the R56 has been out forever but the R57 seems a bit underwhelming.</p>
<p>Now if they could overcome all the engineering hurdles and build a hardtop convertible that kept more of the classic look and visibility of the MINI, that’d be exciting. Or at least build something that isn’t so floppy.</p>
<p>He’s right though, the Fiat is a tempting car. It’ll probably be in the states by the time I’m ready for a new car and if I can tear myself away from the BMW brand I might get one.</p>
<p>Yes, I too was a Vulva owner! It’s funny Clarkson called it that, my wife and I actually used to call ours that from time to time as a bit of a joke. She was reliable and, for a tank, fun, but I’d still rather have my MINI any day of the week.</p>
<p>If you want to read some interesting world views on the MINI, read some of the comments. I had no idea MINIs were as expensive as they are outside of the USA!</p>
<p>This is not unlike most of Clarkson’s reviews, which are mostly editorials with a few words that are actually related to the car he’s supposed to be reviewing so the Times will still cut him a check for the submission. I must confess that I do find his rambling delivery quite entertaining, and the man does know his super cars.</p>
<p>The Abarth is a nice little set of wheels but doesn’t seem to belong in the same class as MINI style-wise, IMHO. If one desires to “stand out” in that sense, might as well just get a new Beetle.</p>
<p>I was in Holland for all of last month. I saw so few MINi it was kinda freaky. I asked a few Dutch folk why and they said, mostly, “it’s nothing special like some of the cool hatches available here.” I presume they meant cars like the new Megane or the Focus RS and many others.</p>
<p>I guess coming for LA, the land of the SUV, and ugly Chevy Malibu’ and such it seems pretty kool to me.</p>
<p>Why cant Ford bring the Mondeo, a super car in person than in photos, or Focus/RS here. We get crap from our own auto maker?</p>
<p>I got to sit in a new Fiat 500/Abarth and found the detailing and style quite nice. But I worry about the partnership with Chrysler, not a great builder of cars and the old “Fix It Again Tony” of past Fiats here in the USA. Gotta say though it’s a sweet car and I think as nicely styled as Frank did with the MINI, maybe better.</p>
<p>His review is:</p>
<p>Nice convertable..
Poor visibility with top up…
Pretty pricey….
One has to think about other cars if you want unique, like the Abarth 500</p>
<p>All of which is pretty much true….</p>
<p>As for clarkson, either you like his style or you don’t. Some of the comments are pretty funny though…. But I gotta say, that he ignores what’s known as a Restomod, or restored and modified. My Mustang looks like a 65, but has a modern fuel injected motor, modern disc brakes, and a modern suspension… You can have your cake and eat it too!</p>
<p>Matt</p>
<p>Dr Obnxs,</p>
<p>Didn’t they do a bit on Top Gear where they tested an Aston and a Jag that were both Restomods? I thought one of them personally owned the Aston. Was it Clarkson? I can’t remember.</p>
<p>Does anyone other than me think this is a dumb picture? A Mini in the middle of a field?</p>
<p>Clarkson’s style is more often than not just for entertainment. His over-the-top descriptions of cars (or anything for that matter) are purely designed to be controversial.</p>
<p>Read any of his books and you’ll know what I mean.</p>
<p>It’s a shame people think these are real reviews and may buy something based on his recommendations.</p>
<p>Many motoring shows on TV. often miss the point of a car and err on the side of entertaining the audience rather than providing clear facts. Top Gear invariably dispenses with the facts completely. It’s because it’s based on Clarkson’s style.</p>
<p>Wait a couple of months and he’ll be extolling the virtues of the MINI compared to the current French offering he’s reviewing. Or saying all Americans are fat, or the French are “Cheese eating surrender monkeys”…</p>
<p>Top Gear TV is hilarious. Of course, it can’t be taken seriously, but the entertainment value is there for sure. I loved it when Clarkson did donuts and spewed clouds of tire smoke with a new Bently Brooklands. Who wouldn’t love the opportunity to do that??</p>