One’s for the prankster, the other for the goodie two shoes.
MY COLLEAGUE DRIVING THE Mini forgot his wig for an authentic convertible experience, but for the rest of you, these are arguably the first two cars you will drive when you have the most hair on your head. The Mini Cooper S Convertible and the Audi A3 Cabriolet are entry level soft tops you can buy in India, but your first and most affordable convertible isn't exactly going to be easy on the wallet. Wind-in-the-hair (or scalp) feeling comes standard though. Get the roof tucked in and you can visit the countryside and explore the narrow country roads during these winter months. If there are two convertibles built to the proportions and ease of use of cars you find in India, they are these.
The Mini convertible is in its Cooper S trim that get's you a 2-litre turbocharged petrol mill under that small sculpted bonnet. 189bhp and 280Nm take the convertible past 100kmph in 7.1 seconds, which isn't going to pin you in your seats but is fast enough for an entertaining drive up a winding road. The A3 Cabrio on the other hand makes 177bhp and 250Nm and weighs about 60kg more than the Mini. It's 0.7 of a second slower to the tonne and prefers the lazy highway cruise more.
This story is from the February 2017 edition of evo India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 2017 edition of evo India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
FAST STEAD
This Skoda Octavia RS 230 is fast enough to blow your mind but not its engine
Ford Fusion
Practical, great engine and dynamics, but weird styling ensured buyers stayed well away
Mahindra Bolero Neo
Armed with an iconic badge, a fresh face and a mechanically locking differential, the Bolero Neo could just be the compact SUV you’ve been looking for
RISING FROM THE ASHES
The third generation Suzuki Hayabusa is one of the fastest production motorcycles in the world, and a bike that truly deserves to be ridden flat out at the High Speed Track at NATRAX
BIJOY KUMAR Y
Bijoy is quite looking forward to what the recent space launches could mean
DOA: HSV HRT 427
This racing-inspired 7-litre Holden Monaro garnered more than enough interest for its limited production run to sell out. But sadly the sums didn’t add up
Mini Cooper S Convertible
Mini gives the Convertible a more modern front end, more technology on the inside and a very bright paint scheme
VW Taigun GT
Good news! With two GT variants, Volkswagen are set to make the 1.5 TSI motor even more accessible to us enthusiasts
THE DOCTOR CHECKS OUT
As Rossi decides to hang up his boots after 26 seasons, we take a look back at his journey through MotoGP
“IF THE RATING IS DONE, NATRAX COULD BE ONE OF THE TOP THREE PROVING GROUNDS IN THE WORLD”
Speaking to Dr N Karuppaiah, additional director and centre head, NATRAX
