architect: MINI design
year: 2009
The canvas hood makes the new MINI Cabrio one of the very few true cabriolet cars, in the most genuine sense of the term, the ones aficionados of open-air driving consider as the only descendants of the traditional convertible car. The hood is characterized by an unmistakeable design; when it is raised the car vaunts the proportions of a true sports car, accentuated by the low and horizontal line of the roof. The fabric it is made from provides excellent protection from the wind, and the sturdy steel and aluminium structure is not deformed even when the car travels at high speed. It only takes 15 seconds to open the hood, which is moved by an electrohydraulic engine. Once lowered, the hood is folded without either occupying too much space or blocking the view. The MINI Cabrio may be equipped with the Always-Open Timer, a timer that records the hours of open-air driving and makes it possible to express the fun of driving with one’s hair blowing in the wind also in figures. An irreverent and playful gimmick, in perfect MINI style.
