The production of the Mini Cooper Convertible has returned to Mini's Oxford plant for the first time in almost a decade.
Priced from £26,200, ahead of deliveries commencing early next year, production of the Cooper Convertible will return to Mini’s Oxford plant on the Oxford bypass in Cowley for the first time since 2015.
This comes as Mini has completed the latest generation of its Cooper models with a new Convertible variant.
In March, the fifth generation MINI Cooper began production at Oxford's Mini Plant.
It followed an announcement from bosses in December that £600m would be pumped into the factories in Oxford and Swindon with ambitions to transform the plant in Cowley to all-electric production by 2030.
The company was lauded by councillors and politicians, including the prime minister after the multi-million-pound investment.
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The Cooper Convertible will be available with two engine choices and will be petrol-powered from launch.
The first, in the Cooper Convertible C, will feature a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 154bhp, bringing a 0-60mph in eight seconds and a top speed of 137mph.
The more powerful Cooper S, meanwhile, gets a larger 2.0-litre engine 201bhp which unlocks a quicker 0-60mph time of 6.7 seconds.
All variants will get the same upgraded styling that has been applied to the latest hard-top model, with circular LED headlights being combined with short overhangs to help preserve the ‘Mini’ style that buyers are used to.
The new fully automatic soft top can be opened in 18 seconds and closed in 15 at speeds of up to 19mph.
With the roof in place, boot space stands at 215 litres, which is five litres more than the standard hatchback.
However, this falls to 160 litres when the roof is folded down.
As on the previous generation Convertible, the tailgate opens downwards to help make accessing the boot area a little easier.
From launch, the Cooper Convertible will be available in three trim levels, which are Classic, Exclusive and Sport.
Entry-level Classic-grade cars will feature 16-inch alloy wheels – or 17-inch sport versions on the Cooper S – as well as black and blue cloth seats and a knitted-effect dashboard.
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Exclusive cars, in contrast, will get a ‘Vibrant Silver’ front grille and 17-inch alloy wheels, as well as a British Racing Green exterior colour and a light beige dashboard.
Sport will take a more dynamic take on things with a hexagonal patterned front grille, larger front and rear aprons and John Cooper Works two-tone alloy wheels.
As with the hatchback, all versions of the Convertible will get a large OLED central screen and a toggle switch bar, as well as Mini’s ‘Experience Modes’ which allow motorists to tweak and change the setup of the car.
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