The MINI roadster's roof really is that simple and easy to use. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgdLPLyIKMo]MINI ROADSTER ROOF - YouTube[/ame]
Everything but the latching mechanism...and it's standard starting with the '13 model year. The motor drive will get the top to within a couple of inches of the fully closed position. I guess there were just too many people complaining about the manual top. Wimps. I'm positively tickled pink seeing the naturally aspirated R59 with JCW trim. I just so happen to have one of those with my name on it the middle of the Atlantic right now, bound for the Baltimore VDC.
Unfortunately, now the non-wimps cannot be differentiated from the wimps. I like being a non-wimp and actually enjoy the manual operation--seems appropriate for a true roadster. Congratulations on your your purchase!
Being an Old Fart with a bad rotator cuff I think it is grand that they have automated the top. If that makes me a wimp so be it. If you want to be real a real he-man disconnect the motor & throw the windows away. Real men do not have roll up windows in their roadsters. Side curtains & manual tops rule. :smilewinkgrin: Congrats on the new roadster Gil.
If I got one I guess I would want it power also. I am getting older and want everything automatic except the transmission.
Having had a totally-automatic Convertible roof before, the Roadster semi-automatic roof has taken some getting used to. Assorted thoughts: - The handle has to be twisted not the 90 degrees that would seem logical, but about 120 degrees. I got caught out by that a lot when I first got it, thinking it was refusing to open. - After twisting the handle, you have to push the roof upwards a few inches before the motor will move it the rest of the way and those few inches take quite a bit of force. As I can kick sand in other men's faces on the beach, I can just about do it with one hand but anyone delicate would need to use two hands, which rather defeats the purpose of being able to do it up to 20mph. - The quoted 10 seconds seems quite long - gut feel says it's nearer 5, but it's guaranteed to be less than the time you spend under 20mph if you only just come to a halt, so any stop light is easily enough time to do it. - The windows drop fully during the top opening process but if you keep holding the button, they go back up automatically. - When closing the roof, pulling the roof down the last couple of inches and twisting the handle is easy, but then you have to manually press both window switches to put the side windows all the way back up. Curiously they only drop automatically a few inches when closing the roof, not all the way like when opening the roof!
The bride and I looked hard at convertibles the last couple of years, but for me there's just not enough season here to warrant one as compared to my last residence in Sandy Eggo..... However, as we drove the various contenders I really came to appreciate the hard tops on the BMW and MBZ for the structural solidity and quietness. We spent quite a bit of time in Audi A4 convertibles too, and with enough layers their softtop is very quiet too. I had a Mustang convertible in SD and I felt that car was quieter with the top down than when it was up, I hope the MINI isn't the same way. Also having owned a Fiat 124 convertible and driven plenty of Miatae I can really appreciate a well designed easy to use top like they have. If I still lived in SoCal I would easily consider a MINI roadster, but here where we have weather it's a harder decision.
I wonder if MINI US saw that most people were ordering the power assist and decided to add it to all the US bound MINIs.
I was wondering that too Nathan. But it was standard in England when the roadster came out. Personally, I have the manual and like it, it feels more authentic to me. And now that you can only get in in semi-auto, I think it makes it even better.
One less option might make it easier to build this beautiful car, but I still like the "authentic" feel of the manual top. I wonder whether sales people just did not take the time demonstrating how easy it is to manually raise and lower the canvass. By the way, I doubt that I would ever raise the top at 20 mph.