YOU may have noticed that I’m driving a Mini.

It’s petrol.

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With a big sunroof. And lots of John Cooper Works attitude.

Nailed-on future classic.

One day we’ll look back on 2025 and say, this was Mini at its absolute peak before everything went electric.

I mean it.

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The regular £25k Mini Cooper is a corker, The Sun’s 2024 Car of the Year.

There’s nothing classier for the money. And it’s a Mini. So it’s a hoot to drive.

Then add the two things British drivers love most.

Roof-down motoring. We buy more convertibles than any other country in Europe.

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Hot-hatch thrills. We l-o-v-e pocket rockets.

Voila. The Oxford-built Mini John Cooper Works Convertible.

Let’s start with the 2-litre engine.

It’s 231hp. Plenty fast enough. More torque than before. Cheeky boost ­button on the steering wheel for ­overtakes.

Flappy paddles for shifting up and down the new seven-speed gearbox add to the entertainment.

Racy styling tricks

As per the usual JCW recipe, the suspension has been tickled to make it even more agile. You don’t need to slow for corners. There’s grip galore.

And it looks ace.

Lots of racy JCW styling tricks. Even the return of a centrally-mounted exhaust.

I got up at 5am while the rest of the house was still asleep to hit the open road. And that’s something I haven’t done in a while.

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The cabin is classy, cosy and cool. The special red and black knitted dashboard crowned by that dinner plate-sized touchscreen.

The retro turn-key start. The oval-shaped stainless-steel pedals. Mini’s commitment to excellence and attention to detail is there for all to see. Plus, that 24cm OLED screen ­carries the same cutting-edge tech as a £100k Beemer.

Roof-down driving doubles the fun.

In a city, you’re a part of streetlife. In the countryside, you’re awash with the senses of nature.

Everywhere I went I got admiring looks and I’m pretty sure it was for the car.

Don’t bother with a Union Flag ­fabric roof, though. It’s a bit OTT.

Send them to Trumpland instead.

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To conclude, then. The Mini John Cooper Works Convertible. The “most British” little petrol car on sale today.

We’re gonna miss it when it’s gone.

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