Like the hard top version, the Mini convertible surprises and delights with its serious motoring capabilities. Its chassis is extremely rigid for a topless car, so the Mini's acclaimed go kart cornering capability is left intact. Drop the top and enjoy the ride.

The Mini Cooper received a facelift for 2005, so there are no major design changes for 2006. The facelift included new headlights and taillights and a new three-slat radiator grill; the front and rear bumper fascia on the Cooper models were revised with a cleaner look.

The bulldog stance of the Mini Cooper remains distinctive, appealing and still fresh. The Mini is low, wide, and short, with short overhangs. The wheels are set as far out to the four corners as possible, enhancing stability in turns and on bumpy straights. The wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear wheels) measures 97.1 inches, longer than some small cars, yet the Mini is shorter overall than any other car sold in America, at 142.8 inches (less than 12 feet). The current Mini Cooper shares some of its basic design tenets with the original, but with one-third greater width, length and height.

The hood is wide, but short in depth, the product of unique design and manufacturing techniques. That, along with the big round doe-eyed headlights (which go up with the hood), are largely responsible for the common ''Oh-h-h, isn't it CUTE!'' reaction. Mini designers also threw in what they consider to be some voluptuous feminine curves and some masculine muscular bulges to cover all the visceral reactions. Thus the Mini is neither Guy Wheels nor a Chick Car. It is an engaging automotive device with an appeal that stretches across gender, age and economic status. Its horizontal roof, giving it that toaster shape, is functional: It provides adult headroom to anyone riding in either the back or front seats, something that arch-shaped body designs (such as the Beetle) do not do.

The rear is trimmed with an elegant fascia, while the front fascia has body-colored bumpers. The Mini Cooper has one exhaust tip exiting below the sleek rear bumper on the right side. BMW's attention to detail is everywhere. A small reflector on door jam alerts other drivers when you open the door at the side of a busy street. Big oval mirrors afford a good view behind, where all those slower cars can be seen.

Those mirrors must be used diligently in the convertible because blind spots can be serious, particularly with the top up. The many advantages in having a heated solid glass back window in a convertible is complicated by the need to fit that in to the folding requirements of the top. What suffers is the outward view to the rear quarters. Use your mirrors.

The Cooper S is distinguished by its hood scoop, sport bumpers, lower intake grille, aggressive side sills, wider wheel arches, and twin exhaust tips that exit from the middle. A rear spoiler trails off the roof, chrome brightens the fuel-filler flap, and an S logo shaped like a curvy road spices up the rear badge. Numerous other styling cues, including big eight-spoke wheels reminiscent of the classic Minilights, ensure that everyone who's anyone knows you sprung for the hot one.

The Mini Cooper is a well-executed piece by every measure. It's the total package that makes it an excellent value: appealing appearance inside and out, excellent performance, notable engineering, numerous safety devices and the simple delight of being in and around it. It gets excellent gas mileage and it will make your garage seem enormous.

NewCarTestDrive.com correspondents Denise McCluggage reported from Minneapolis, with Mitch McCullough reporting from Los Angeles and New York, Sam Moses reporting from Ireland, and Greg Brown reporting from Los Angeles.

A sporty driving experience is what the Mini Cooper is all about. Spring for the Cooper S if you are a serious driving enthusiast, but be prepared for an attendant rougher ride. Indeed, you may find the standard Mini Cooper more comfortable. It's smooth and very stable, like a BMW. Around town, the Mini is well-mannered, smooth to shift and easy to park. The S is firm and bounces enough that drinking hot java on the way to work may result in a stained shirt or blouse.

Drop the top on the convertible, and you may not even notice what the road surface is like.

These cars corner like go karts. It takes some very hard driving to exceed their cornering limits. The harder and deeper you go into corners, the more the Mini says more. It goes where it's pointed without protest. Even when rain was sheeting down and the pavement shimmered in rivulets, the Mini felt bonded to the surface.

As expected from a car associated with BMW, the Mini Cooper's steering is precise and immediate, though not as light as you might expect in a small car. With its sharp and accurate steering, it's easy to place the car exactly where you want it. The suspension (McPherson struts in front and multi-link rear) is designed to keep the car snug to the road. This means passengers feel broken surfaces, expansion joints and weathered pavement. The Mini's ride is not velvety, but it is secure. Somehow even on the roughest road, one that sets passengers popping like corn in a hot skillet, the Mini holds its direction like a gyroscope. Drivers like that. And make no mistake: The Mini is a driver's car.

The brakes are equally impressive Brake hard at speed and the Mini feels sucked to the earth and stops quickly. The four-wheel disc brakes (vented in front) come with four-channel ABS, Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), and Corner Brake Control (CBC). EBD distributes front-to-rear brake forces for improved stability and shorter stopping distances. CBC evens braking forces side to side, important when braking in the middle of a corner (usually a driving faux pas). Optional Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) applies the brakes at individual wheels and reduces engine torque when it senses you're skidding or not traveling on your intended path.

The standard 115-horsepower 1.6-liter four-cylinder overhead-cam engine never feels deficient. It delivers plenty of power for most of us. Its acceleration performance may not plaster you to the back of the seat, but it has plenty of power for charging around on-ramps and can rocket onto the freeway. It gets an EPA-estimated 28/37 mpg City/Highway.

Shifting feels good and smooth. The Cooper comes standard with a Getrag five-speed manual transmission (new for 2005) designed for quick acceleration.

The Mini Cooper S uses a supercharged version of the same engine that produces 168 horsepower and 155 pound-feet of torque at 4000 rpm. The S doesn't feel like a rocket off the line, but really comes into its own once it's rolling. The supercharger doesn't deliver the explosive thrust associated with turbocharged engines, but it accelerates hard, with thrilling performance when you nail it in the 30-60 mph range. The supercharged engine uses the same block, but features more cooling measures (an engine oil cooler and piston-cooling jets), lower-compression pistons (to reduce detonation), a special crank, special valves, and, of course, the roots-type blower. All this adds up to 40-percent more horsepower and torque and an EPA-estimated 24/33 mpg.

The S comes with a six-speed manual. The pull from the supercharged engine means it doesn't shift as elegantly as the standard Cooper, but it's quite tractable and easy to shift around town at low speeds. Sixth is a tall gear, good for fuel economy. The six-speed is a high-performance Getrag gearbox with double-cone synchros.

The S rides more firmly than the standard Cooper. It's fine for a driving enthusiast, but some may find it a bit stiff. You hear and feel tar strips. Some of that could be attributable to the run-flat tires. On a tight autocross circuit, the S feels quicker, more like a go kart, though the standard Cooper is still a hoot.

The available CVT, or Continuously Variable automatic Transmission, drains the fun out of the Mini Cooper. The Mini's CVT doesn't seem suited to this car the way the superb CVTs are to the Audi A6 and Nissan Murano. You may get used to it, but it's unlikely you'll ever love it. It's not as responsive as a proper manual gearbox. It bogs when coming out of corners unless you give it a lot of gas. Stand on it and it holds 5500 rpm until you lift. If you can't shift a manual gearbox, we recommend looking for another car. Or learn to shift for yourself. It's easy to do and the Mini is worth that.

For serious enthusiasts, the John Cooper Works (JCW) package is the E-ticket. With 200 horsepower, a Works Mini Cooper S cuts the 0-60 time to 6.5 seconds, but more importantly cuts the 50-75 mph time to 5.6 seconds from about 6.7 seconds for the Mini Cooper S. The Works kit includes a new cylinder head, supercharger and exhaust system. Best of all, it's fully warranted by dealers.

We drove a Works Mini for nearly 300 miles on narrow Irish roads, and were very impressed by its speed and tractability. The powerband is enormously wide, from 3500 rpm (acceleration is decent even at 3000) to redline at 7500, with peak torque increased to 177 pound-feet from the standard 155. The power was so good at any engine speed that we didn't need to shift the six-speed gearbox very much.

A drive of the latest Mini Cooper Convertible around Los Angeles showed why it's the perfect companion for outdoor enthusiasts. Not only does sunshine come standard at the press of a switch, the car's perky little 1.6-liter engine provides as much fun per fuel dollar as any car on the market. Ecologically friendly cruising has never been so cool.

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