2012 Mini Roadster - 2012 Detroit Auto Show

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While we brought you a first look at the 2012 Mini Cooper Roadster back in November, this diminutive drop-top sibling to the Mini Cooper Coupe didn't make its first formal public appearance until the Detroit Show. Like the Coupe, this latest addition to the now five-strong Mini lineup will be offered in Cooper, Cooper S and John Cooper Works variants when it goes on sale next month. All are fitted with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that packs 121 naturally aspirated horses, 181 turbocharged ponies or a stout 208 T-charged steeds as you move up the model hierarchy. In all cases, that power heads to the front wheels. While the Cooper and Cooper S variant can be had with a six-speed manual or optional paddle-shiftable six-speed automatic, the JCW Roadster is strictly a shift-for-yourself proposition.

Save for replacing the Coupe's "helmet roof" with a fully lined, manually operated cloth alternative, the new Mini Cooper Roadster share all of the same bodywork bits but adds a bit more dedicated reinforcement to the mix as well as rollover hoops and the "Openometer" borrowed from the Cooper S Convertible that measures the amount of time spent running in al fresco mode. 

Pricing for the 2012 Mini Cooper Roadster starts at $25,050, while the Cooper S Roadster begins at $28,050 and the John Cooper Works model commences at $35,200. Like all Mini products, the Roadster will be available with a generous roster of options and loads of personalization accessories.

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