Some scepticism greeted BMW’s plans to reinvent the Mini in 2002, but that’s all dissipated as the little retro three-door hatch today is a stable part of landscape. The soft-top cabrio version arrived here in 2005, surprising with its quite balanced style, reactively draft-free interior – and unexpected bonuses such as a folding/sliding sunroof and a semi-hatchback capability. Naturally there’s not quite as much space in the back seat as regular hatchback Minis. The cabrio Cooper S remains with the previous 125kW/220Nm supercharged 1.6-litre engine, and offers the choice of six-speed manual or CVT transmission.