COOPLE GOALS!

Nothing makes people happier than a pair of Minis

- Kartik Ware

Desperate happiness. That’s what this pair brings out in people, age no bar. Parked by the side of a picturesque road while taking photos, a hatchback drove past and performed an emergency stop. A little girl of around 12 years of age leaped out and ran towards the Mini Convertible. Her face was one happy smile, but she also looked a bit sad; she immediately knew she had to go back to real life, and couldn’t bear to part with the bright-green cuteness in front of her. A few minutes after her hugely hesitant departure, a pair of jaded old men reacted pretty much the same way. And that says a lot about these Minis.

Impish. Cheeky. Playful. These are just three words of their kind that come to mind when faced with a pair of Minis. These aren’t just mere modes of transport, no. They are genuine motoring experiences for those who truly love cars. And there’s practically nothing else that can even come close to giving you what this pair does. The Mini John Cooper Works is the riot inciter of the pair, of course, with its racy gratitude that points cocky fingers at everyone, including bigger machines. And the Mini Convertible is the one with the eternal capability of turning every drive into a happily-ever-after ride into sunsets.

With ex-showroom starting prices of ₹ 45.5 lakh and ₹ 44 lakh for the JCW and the Convertible, before all the tempting options drive those numbers up for both, this pair is obviously not for everyone. I wish someone would spend a year in both, study and figure out their essence, and then make far more affordable versions to introduce a wider section of people to the happiness that fun cars can inject into their lives. After all, these Minis come from a tiny old history-maker themselves, one that was as simple as the time it belonged to.