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The MINI Roadster: race car feeling meets top-down driving excitement

This spring sees the market launch of the first open-top two-seater in company history - in the guise of the MINI Roadster. The sixth model from the British premium carmaker is an elegant, sporty compact car for discerning drivers who value high-class design, powerful engines and precision suspension. This typical MINI interpretation of a compact roadster unites purist sportiness with the spontaneous fun of driving around town with the top down.

Sporty, irresistible - typically MINI.

MINI has faithfully reproduced its hallmark design language within the proportions of a roadster, bestowing on the open-top two-seater its unmistakable look and highlighting its elegant, sweeping silhouette even with the roof closed. The MINI Roadster's soft-top can be quickly and easily opened by hand - allowing for spontaneous, concentrated top-down driving pleasure.

Moreover, with its 240-litre, visually distinct boot, the MINI Roadster offers versatile loading options, thanks in particular to the wide through-loading aperture behind the seats. The padded stainless steel roll-over bars and the windscreen frame round off the car's elegant design - while at the same time ensuring optimal safety for both driver and passenger.

The ultimate go-kart feeling.

Powerful engines in tandem with precisely tuned suspension systems generate the customary MINI go-kart feeling. Meanwhile, front-wheel drive - another hallmark brand attribute - teams up with chassis technology of a quality unmatched in the small car segment to ensure unequalled driving fun. Also playing their part are the standard-fitted Dynamic Stability Control system and optimal aerodynamics even with the top down - thanks to an active rear spoiler which automatically extends when the MINI Roadster reaches 80 km/h (50 mph).

High-quality standard equipment, individual looks.

MINI Roadster drivers can also savour their car's premium character in its high-quality range of standard equipment, which includes air conditioning, electrically adjustable exterior mirrors, Park Distance Control, height-adjustable seats and an MP3-capable audio system with CD player and AUX IN connection. On the exterior paintwork front, the MINI Roadster has a palette of two non-metallic and six metallic shades to choose from, as well as three Sport Stripes variants for the bonnet, boot lid and rear aprons. The soft-top is black, in true British tradition. On the inside, the MINI Roadster likewise offers a diversity of design options, with seat and upholstery variants ranging from sporty/compact to elegant. They include exclusive piped sports seats in the colour shade Toffy, as well as black sports seats in Punch Leather with beige perforations, and any of six different trim strip options.

Top-down driving in style - fashion accessories for fresh-air fans.

Fans of open-top motoring will find the perfect accessories for the road in the MINI Lifestyle Collection. Whether you're driving the new MINI Roadster or a MINI Convertible, MINI makes sure you kick off the open-air season in style.  Sunglasses are indispensable companions in fine weather - both behind the wheel and in the passenger seat. The highlight feature of the Vintage Look Sunglasses John is a colourful Union Jack print on the inside of the earpieces. The Peter sunglasses, meanwhile, are a fashionable interpretation of the trendy Wayfarer silhouette with a Black Jack pattern on the inside.

The casual Street Cap with Union Jack badge will protect you against the wind, while the colourful Union Jack Scarf with an artistic UK flag design serves as an all-purpose head scarf or neck scarf. MINI Lifestyle Collection accessories are available on the internet at www.MINI.com/shop and from select MINI dealers.

Model variants: four sporty versions available.

The MINI Roadster will be launched on the market in four model variants. They range from the ultra-sporty MINI John Cooper Works Roadster with a handsome 211 hp, to the elegant MINI Cooper S Roadster and MINI Cooper Roadster, all the way to the frugal MINI Cooper SD Roadster, which requires just 4.5 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres (62.77 mpg imp).

 Photo gallery MINI Roadster