MINI has announced pricing for the sportiest drop-top in its model range, the 2012 MINI Cooper Roadster.
The two-seat Roadster will command $25,050 in base trim (including destination), with that sum netting a 1.6-liter inline-four with 121 horsepower and 114 lb-ft of torque. The Cooper S Roadster, with a turbocharged variant of the 1.6-liter mill good for 181 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque, will go from $28,050, while the John Cooper Works Roadster will leave a $35,050 dent in one’s wallet in exchange for 208 horsepower and 192 lb-ft of twist (207 lb-ft in overboost mode).
Interestingly, each of the Roadster models are priced about $600 less than their Cooper Convertible equivalents. The Convertible features a more practical four-seat configuration but a less rakish roofline with the top up. Speaking of the top, the Roadster eschews the Convertible’s power-operated unit for a manual setup with pneumatic springs that release it from its stowage well and bring it into a more easily reachable position.
