Attention all "merry widows". Your car's arrived. According to yet another 'motoring survey': "merry widows and married men rather than boy racers are the most keen on convertibles."
Several questions come to mind: Who keeps coming up with these ridiculous surveys? Where do they get the information? And what exactly is a "merry" widow?
Regardless of the apparent need for married men to get the roof off - psychologists are undoubtedly thumbing through Freud for references to marriage and feelings of claustrophobia - both merry widows and married men will be delighted with the latest arrival in the soft-top market, a rag-top MINI.
We can't seem to get enough of the cheeky little Mini. Celebrating 45 years since the original rolled off the production line, last week the 500,000th new generation MINI was driven out of BMW's plant in Oxford by a proud Californian. That's two years earlier than the company ever envisaged when, in 2001, it started production of the successor to British Leyland's original flying shoebox.
Last week's celebrations were also significant because the 500,000th MINI is heading Stateside. While small European cars are regularly laughed off the streets in the US, or blown into the ditch by some 6-litre four-ton 4x4 tank, the MINI is tugging on the emotional heartstrings in 73 different world markets.
BMW's achievement is all the more incredible when you consider that of the two iconic models in that class, VW's Beetle looked a better bet on paper. After all, the original Beetle was a global icon for over three decades of motoring.
Yet VW has singularly failed to recreate the warmth felt for its own original little bug-eyed beauty, while BMW has somehow captured the essence of Sir Alec Issigonis's little four-seater.
The sheer scale of MINI's success has left the plant's management scrambling around for even the smallest productivity or process improvements in order to squeeze out a few more cars.
The popularity has also hampered plans to introduce new variants such as estate and coupe versions expected in the future. But then the public seem more than content with single body choice, their appetite for the character-rich car not yet sated.
Thankfully MINI has managed to squeeze one new variant out of the production line and, surprise-surprise it's the hottest little number this summer.
A convertible Mini would have been a long way down the line for Issigonis. He had little time for styling.
When asked once by Battista Farina of the Italian car design studio PininFarina, if he was a stylist, an offended Issigonis snapped back: "I am an engineer." Regardless of his preference for mechanics over clay modelling, he's responsible for a sensational success story.
What he would have made of the super trendy current incarnation in 'hot orange' and resting on 16-inch alloys remains to be seen. Yet there's no escaping its street-cred.
Our test car was a Cooper and with the extra 100kgs on board due to the roof mechanism you'll need the extra puff to keep you up to speed and fulfil any racy desires you may have. The entry-level One is probably too underpowered for anything other than town cruising.
You're best hanging out at higher revs to get the most out of it compared to its hard-topped twin. While the company claims a mere 0.6 second gap between the two versions, the actual difference seems longer, particularly at the early stages of take-off.
That said, when the 1.6-litre Cooper engine does get up to speed it's a fun drive and the handling is sharp and direct, as you would expect from a small car. It's most impressive feature is its steady handling even with the roof down. In Continental testing earlier this year, we managed to maintain unrestricted motorway speeds that would have made competitor models very tail-happy.
The Cooper comes with Active Stability Control (ASC), basically a traction control system that operates on the two axles - slowing or braking the front or back wheels when it senses the car is going slightly askew. Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) is also available as an option. This more refined system operates on a wheel-by-wheel basis, braking only the front outside wheel to prevent understeer, or the rear inside wheel to prevent oversteer. Thankfully neither system numbs the potential driver fun from the car and you can still generate an exciting little tyre squeal at relatively low speeds if you so desire.
In terms of fuel efficiency, the convertible is a little more thirsty than the hard-top, but not so much that it would turn you off purchase.
The Z-folding roof can take two formats. There's a sunroof stage, whereby it winds back without removing the outer frame. However, this is not nearly as practical as it sounds and generates enormous wind noise in the cabin.
Better to either have it up or down, for when it's fully folded back - a completely automated process requiring merely the touch of a button - there's little wind scuttle; certainly no more than in competitors like the Streetka. Of course, some may prefer the hard-top retractable roof of the likes of the Peugeot 206cc, but the extra weight would have killed off all the fun of the Mini, and destroyed the design.
The canvas roof - multi-layered for extra sound-proofing and protection - folds neatly on the rear and looks the part. The downside is a risk of discoloration that comes with all such roofs in the long-term if not cared for properly.
Thankfully BMW has opted for a proper glass window in the rear rather than the plastic ones used in some soft-tops, that invariably turn white and opaque over the years.
More importantly, unlike many of its competitors, such as the 206cc or the Streetka, this is a proper four-seater. We had adults in the back-seat, even if they described the seating position as "snug".
When the back seats are unoccupied a net screen can be mounted to limit the wind turbulence. It's a useful tool, even if it requires an engineering Phd to fold it up and down. At the back there's the usual cubbyhole boot space, slightly compromised in terms of opening access. However, owners will probably just chuck things on the back seats if they're empty - which invariably they will be most of the time.
With the roof up, the cabin remains airy, but in the rear, the wide cloth c-pillars blocks out a great deal of the light. They also hinder the rear view and combine with the large integrated head restraint hoops to make reversing sensors a must for all but clairvoyants.
Every designer dreams of creating an icon. Few achieve it. BMW has managed to get the benefit of modernising Issigonis's design, yet staying true to its heritage. This rag-top version of the MINI only adds to the charm and allure.
You have to be an optimist to buy a convertible in Ireland. If you are then expect to join a queue for delivery of this hot little number, but it's worth the wait. And go for the Cooper or Cooper S. That should keep the widows merry for a little longer.
