MINI will soon launch its all-new Roadster in the American market to expand its range and boost its rating.
That all depends on the Americans be willing to pay $24,350 for the Roadster. That’s the minimum, mind you, for a Cooper model. If you go for the slightly hotter Cooper S that’ll be $27,350, while the top of the range John Cooper Works version will cost $34,500.
And that’s not all! You have to add $700 destination charge to all the prices above, and if you want an automatic transmission, it’s another $1,250. All models are fitted as standard with a manual gearbox.
Still, MINI Roadster is $600 cheaper than the MINI Convertible, which is a bit more practical, but a whole lot uglier.
On paper, the Roadster seems like a perfect sportscar. It’s a two-seater open-top funster with sprightly performance. But a proper sportscar should be simple and down to earth, and this just sorta isn’t. The entry-level Cooper comes with a 121-hp and 114 lb-ft of torque 1.6 liter engine, while the Cooper S benefits from a turbocharger that takes the power up to 181-hp and 177 lb-ft of torque.
The JCW version gets more tuning so it can offer 208-hp and 192 lb-ft of torque. The Roaster is fairly heavy for its size, and that’s why it takes the JCW 6.3 second to hit 60mph, and it has a top speed of only 147mph.
