MINI's summer pick-me-up

There might be doom and gloom in much of the car industry at the moment, but with a hint of spring in the air, MINI, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, is more optimistic than most as it gears up for the launch of the all-new Convertible on March 28, the same weekend as the clocks go forward to mark the start of summer time.

There is already a healthy order bank of around 700 for the new model which will be launched in Cooper, Cooper S and John Cooper Works specifications with a lower-priced One version slated to join the line-up in early 2010.

MINI is something of a recession-free zone - early adjustments to the output means there is a waiting list for most models in the range and the convertible is no exception, said Andy Hearn, general manager of MINI UK.

It's worth the wait. This is the perfect pick-me-up for summer. The fabric roof folds in just 15 seconds and you can even operate it on the move - it will open and shut safely at speeds of up to 20mph.

One great thing about MINIs is that the hold their price well and since MINI hasn't had to discount its cars to sell them in the current climate that means they will hold their price well for years to come.

If you're a fan of MINI already, the Convertible adds the best of both worlds. With the roof up, it is surprisingly quiet, civilised. With it down, it is an even more surprising oasis of calm inside the cabin with very little buffeting from the wind even at motorway speeds when it is quite possible for driver and passenger to hold a normal conversation.

Prices for the Cooper Convertible start at £15,995. This uses the familiar 1.6-litre 4-cylinder engine but reworked to reduce emissions to 137g/km from 174g/km in the old car and an 11mpg improvement in economy to 49.6mpg on the combined cycle.

The Cooper S, priced from £18,995 sees a similar CO2 improvement and fuel consumption lowered by 10mpg to 44.1mpg.

This is thanks to MINI's version of parent BMW's Efficient Dynamics which is called, what else, but Minimalism technology.

It includes automatic stop-start as well as numerous bits of clever stuff to help eke more miles from every gallon.

There are a couple of other interesting features on the new Convertible including lockable rear seat backs to stop people breaking into the boot through the rear seats when the roof is down.

There is also something called, and please brace yourself for this, an Openometer. It's a £115 extra and tells you how long the roof has been down, not just for the day - up to seven hours - but for the lifetime of the car. It is, as Mr Hearn said, a MINI thing.

Also a MINI thing is the way the car drives. Up against an increasingly competent bunch of competitors from traditional rivals such as the VW Beetle and Peugeot 207 CC, there are also newcomers like the Alfa Romeo Mito CC and the Fiat 500 CC to contend with. MINI Convertible is well able to hold its own offering an enjoyable blend of performance, comfort, ride and that renowned MINI handling.

This is definitely a car to banish the winter blues and start thinking about better things to come.