The critically acclaimed MINI family is expanding again. Hot on the wheels of the stunning Coupé comes the launch of the sixth unique model in the line-up, the eagerly anticipated and all-new MINI Roadster.

MINI continues to rewrite the rulebook; this is the first open-topped two-seater in the company’s history. The cutting-edge design is typically MINI – an authentic re-interpretation of a classic motoring concept. This latest model offers the fun of driving a taut-handling roadster, with all the character of MINI. And being built at Plant Oxford means it can justifiably claim to be a spiritual successor to the traditional British roadsters of old.

The semi-automatic operation of the tailored soft-top roof means rapid opening and closing, and it doesn’t affect the MINI Roadster’s practicality in any way. This is a versatile two-seater with a stowage area behind the driver and passenger seats, generous 240-litre luggage area and through-loading system.

The MINI Roadster is the first premium model of its kind in the small car segment, offering buyers a unique package that will bring the joy of MINI ownership to a passionate and demanding group of new customers.

Selling alongside the Hatch, Convertible, Clubman, Countryman and Coupé, the MINI Roadster will arrive in UK showrooms next spring. As with the recently launched MINI Coupé, all variants of the MINI Roadster carry the Cooper name in their model titles. Full details of standard and optional equipment on each will be released nearer the launch. A wide range of accessories and personalisation choices will be available.

The MINI Roadster is true to the brand’s existing design language, but sculpted to the classic proportions of a roadster. With an exterior length of 3,734 mm, a width of 1,683 mm and a wheelbase of 2,467 mm, the MINI Roadster’s footprint closely mirrors that of the MINI Convertible. However, the elegant roofline is more than 20 mm lower than its four-seater sibling, allowing the Roadster to cut a distinctive, low-slung and visually stretched stance.

Designed around a traditional three-box body structure, the car’s silhouette is dominated by the heavily raked A-pillars, angled backwards by an extra 13 degrees over the MINI Convertible. The waistline rises gently along the car’s length towards the strikingly stepped rear end.

Key to the MINI Roadster’s appeal to buyers is its unique canvas roof. The tailored soft-top offers robust, all-season durability with an easy opening and closing semi-automatic operation as part of the standard specification. When opened, the roof folds down flat behind the seats, keeping the car’s elegant lines intact. And since the outer skin of the roof faces upwards, there is no need for any additional cover.

MINI enthusiasts will immediately recognise the interior of the Roadster. All the trademark features – including the much-loved large central circular speedo, the rev counter behind the steering wheel and the toggle switches – are present in the two-seater cabin. The package includes sports seats fitted as standard in the MINI Cooper S Roadster, MINI Cooper SD Roadster and MINI John Cooper Works Roadster, which provide outstanding lateral support during cornering.

Two-seater roadsters have a tendency to lack practicality but that’s not the case with the MINI Roadster. It has a 240 litres of luggage space, plus the high-opening tailgate, low boot sill and ski hatch make for simple loading. The MINI Roadster also comes with large door bins, three cupholders, and a cross-rack behind the seats.