World events can bring about the creation of great products. Consider the 1956 Suez Oil Crisis, when Egypt nationalized the British- and French-owned Suez Canal Company.

With Europe's oil supply threatened, the British Motor Company created a car that was even more fuel efficient than its popular Morris Minor. The work of Minor's designer Alec Issigonis, the new car was no more than 10 feet long, yet it was able to hold four people and their luggage. Issigonis sketched the initial design on a restaurant tablecloth. What he visualized was radical: a front-wheel drive two-door hatchback with an engine mounted sideways and fitted with an independent suspension to maximize interior space.

It was a design that would be copied by every front-wheel-drive economy car that followed.

The new model debuted in 1959 as the Austin Seven and the Morris Mini-Minor. It was a sensation, retaining its same basic design through 2000. What became known as the Mini, owned by BMW, was totally redesigned as the Mini Cooper in 2002 and once again became a worldwide fave.

This year the Mini Cooper enters its fourth iteration, receiving a total makeover for 2025 and becoming more special than ever.

As it turns out, convertibles have become the province of the 1%, with nearly all new droptops commanding prices that will make your eyes bleed. Most command premiums of $50,000 or more. Yet the 2025 Mini Cooper Convertible’s starting price is $34,945, including destination charge. Only the Mazda Miata is cheaper.

Now an industry icon along with the Volkswagen Beetle and Fiat 500, the Mini Cooper’s cheeky looks don’t change radically for 2025, retaining its round headlights. More importantly, the convertible top carries over unchanged. It works so well, there’s little need to change it. You can opt for one with a Union Jack, in case you’re the type who wants to Make America Great Britain again. Yes, it still opens partially in sunroof mode, although that results in a noisy, blustery ride. Yet going topless was never easier, as one button lowers the top in a mere 19 seconds at speeds up to 19 mph. Another lowers all four windows simultaneously. This activates the Mini Cooper’s unique Openometer, which tracks time spent with the top down.

The readout is one among many on the 9.4-inch-round screen that anchors the center of the dashboard, in a space occupied by the speedometer in the original Mini. In fact, the 1959 model guided the design of the newest Mini Cooper, with a row of switches below the screen, just like the original. But whereas the 1959 rendition had a grab strap on the right side of the instrument panel, it’s now embedded into the dashboard to meet federal crash standards. Designers did endow the cabin’s finishes with a modern sporty elan that’s thoroughly contemporary. Cabin space remains as it always was, with good room in front and marginal in the back. Better to fold down the rear seat to expand the pocket-sized 8.9-cubic-foot cargo hold.

Perhaps the biggest change comes under the hood, where last year’s three-cylinder powerplant has been replaced with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine powering the front wheels. It’s rated at 161 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque in Base and Oxford trim. Opting for the Mini S models nets the same engine producing 201 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque. But only one grade of Mini matters to motorheads: the John Cooper Works (or JCW) grade. Its powerplant is the same size but benefits from some tinkering to extract 228 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. Like the others, a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission is standard, but the JCW gets sportier ratios and shifting behavior. The differences can be seen in each grade’s 0-60 times. The Base and Oxford run it in 7.9 seconds, while the S comes in at a far more respectable 6.7 seconds. The JCW rips it out in a swift 5.9 seconds.

Of the different models, the Mini Cooper S is the best compromise. With lightning quick responsiveness and the crisp, precise handling of the JCW, it’s an absolute blast to drive. The more aggressive transmission keeps the engine boiling with power, making this one quick rug rat. The boost button is especially fun, adding an extra jolt of power for 10 seconds. But the price it extracts is an unyielding stiffness that renders it more track rat than daily driver. While not as quick, the S is fast enough, its ride is a bit more forgiving without relinquishing the requisite agility and athleticism to make it a daily smile generator. It’s hard to have a bad day when your daily driver is a Mini Cooper S Convertible.

Seats are comfortably supportive, and the Mini’s controls are easy to use. Diving top down reveals the Mini Cooper Droptop to have good wind management. It’s easy to have a conversation or enjoy your favorite music. And regardless of model, the 2025 Mini Cooper droptop has minimal cowl shake over rough roads.

Given most new convertibles easily surpass the $50,000, the Mini Cooper Convertible proves easy to love. And its price ensures you don’t have to be a mogul to put one in your garage.

2025 Mini Cooper S Convertible

Base price: $37,200

Engine: Turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder

Horsepower/Torque: 201/221 pound-feet

EPA rating (combined city/highway): 30 mpg

Fuel required: Premium

Length/Width/Height: 153/69/56 inches

Ground clearance: 4.8 inches

Payload: 778 pounds

Cargo capacity: 8.9 cubic feet

Towing capacity: 00 pounds

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