To me, the MINI Cooper Convertible is an automotive paradox. How can a car be geared towards driving enthusiasts and at the same time be such yuppie, poseurish machine?

FAST FACTS
1. The Cooper Convertible comes with a 118hp, 1.6L, 4-cyl engine.

2. Cooper S and JCW versions are also available with 172hp and 208hp respectively.

3. The front of the soft-top slides open as well

4. The Cooper Convertible is priced from 24,550 ($29,950 CDN).

Imagine my embarrassment when I, a serious automotive journalist, was quickly transformed into a stereotype when, while blasting down the highway with the top down, had a cross-wind blow the collar of my Lacoste polo up around my neck. And yet, while my popped collar may have drawn a few smirks from onlookers, it was I who was smiling behind the wheel of one of the best-handling front-drive machines ever made.

EXCEPTIONAL HANDLING

MINI likes to describe the cornering abilities of its vehicles as go-kart like. I’d take it to the next level saying the last time I took a corner as vigorously as in my Cooper Convertible was in an open-wheel Formula Mitsubishi… or perhaps a Lotus.

MINI’s do have a unique way about them, and I’m not just talking about their design. From the driver’s seat you feel like you’re sitting well above the car’s center of gravity. This makes the feeling all the more sensational, when you twitch the steering and it responds immediately, racing through a corner without the slightest bit of understeer or wheelspin.

Handling on my tester was improved slightly thanks to a set of optional, larger 17-inch wheels and as MINI offers endless customization options you can improve things further with items like stiffer way bars and springs.

If you do plan on ever tracking your car we also suggest the inexpensive ($350) Dynamic Traction Control (DTC) option. Stability control is standard and while it can be shut off entirely, the DTC option gives you more “wiggle” room when it comes to sliding the car around in corners. Additionally, the DTC system comes with Electronic Differential Lock Control (EDLC), which essentially functions like an LSD (slowing the inside wheel in a corner to prevent wheelspin), but does so by adding brake rather than some sort of complex “power-splitting” axle setup. Both the DTC option and EDLC are technologies that aren’t found anywhere else on a front-drive car.

IMPRESSIVELY RIGID CHASSIS

Handling is something that MINI’s have always been known for, but the fact that even the convertible versions take corners so well is downright amazing; another paradox of sorts. How can a chassis loose its top and still be so rigid?

Perhaps on a racetrack you can feel the body flex, but not around town. There isn’t even any discernable cowl shake – something that no doubt stems for the car’s short wheelbase. As a result, when you do hit a larger bump, it tends to be more pronounced, but in many ways that is better than the sort of sea-sick feeling you get in so many other convertibles (even very expensive ones) where you feel stuck between two ends of a car that are constantly flexing in opposite directions.

With the top up or down this MINI looks equally cute, although top-down is best, especially thanks to the nice chrome band that encircles the car, running from the windshield, across the doors and around the back. Plus, some of the interior accents are even painted to match the body color.

The soft-top retracts in a reasonable 15 seconds and while it’s nice that it’s a fully power unit, it is annoying that you have the hold the button the whole time. To avoid the wait, you can drop the top before you even get into the car by using the key fob, or drop it on the run at speeds below 20 mph.

Quite possibly the best feature, however, is that the front half of the canvas roof slides open, and with the windows down it’s almost as good as dropping the top. I particularly enjoyed this on one commute home, which was constantly threatened by rain.

But don’t fool yourself, the sliding canopy isn’t the same, and won’t count towards time on your Openometer. What’s that, you say? Well, it’s a gauge to the left of the tachometer that measures the amount of time you’ve been driving with the top down. I’m proud to say that in a week’s worth of commuting I was able to enjoy over six hours of top down driving!

Visibility in the new new MINI Convertible has been improved thanks in part to a hidden rollover bar that only pops up when a rollover is detected. MINI says this improved rear visibility, but to be honest it’s still tough to see out the back, even for me at 6’1”.

Visibility with the top up (always a problem with cars like this) actually isn’t all that bad and while there are still some blind spots, they have been reduced thanks to larger windows. And that hidden rollover bar does make a difference during top-up driving.

THIS TOY DOUBLES AS A GREAT DAILY DRIVER

This reasonably good visibility brings up yet another MINI paradox. The Cooper convertible is designed both for frivolous open air cruising, as well as purposeful daily driving. It’s small size make it easy to drive and park in urban areas – although with the car’s less than perfect rear visibility you might want to opt for the $500 rear Park Distance control feature.

As for commuting duty, the Cooper Convertible will comply and gets an excellent fuel-economy rating of 28 mpg city and 36 mpg highway. That number is slightly less with the optional six-speed automatic transmission, which gets 25/34 mpg. Unfortunately all MINI’s require premium fuel.

With 118hp and 114 ft-lbs of torque from a 1.6-liter four-cylinder, it does seem like you’re getting ripped off in the horsepower department – especially considering the car’s $25,000 list price.

Still, 118 ponies never felt like so much. In the lower gears at low rpm sometimes the car gets bogged down by a lack of torque, but wind up those revs and it actually can feel much faster than it’s 8.9-second 0-60 mph time.

Our tester was equipped with a manual transmission and while MINI’s automatic is a six-speed unit, we have no doubt the car feels even less powerful with the auto-box. Those wanting paddle shifters with their auto will have to opt for the pricier Cooper S Convertible.

To further enhance the driving experience there is an optional Sports Button, which heightens the responsiveness of the throttle and steering, as well as that of the transmission, (on automatic models), alleviating some of the auto-box’s inherent slowness.

One great standard feature on the car is a hill-start assist system, which keeps the car in place for a moment before you engage the throttle.

If you are commuting though, you’ll have to travel light and keep your car-pooling to a minimum as cargo room is extremely limited and the rear seats are essentially useless.

LIMITED STANDARD EQUIPMENT AND LOST OF EXTRAS

For a pricier compact, the standard equipment list on the Cooper Convertible is limited. It includes power windows and locks with remote entry, air conditioning and a six-speaker AM/FM/CD player with an auxiliary jack and speed sensitive volume. One nice feature is a special button that allows you to open or close all the windows at once.

Otherwise, unless you opt for a few extras, it’s not overly well-appointed. Our tester included the $2,000 Lounge leather; $500 USB/iPod adapter; $1,250 Premium package with automatic climate control, chrome accents and a leather steering wheel with redundant audio controls and cruise control; $500 Cold Weather Package with heated mirrors and seats; and a $1,500 Sport Package with sport seats (as well as fog lights, those 17-inch wheels and the DTC system).

QUIRKY INTERIOR AN ERGONOMIC NIGHTMARE

As for the interior itself, I have to say that even with the leather and options it still just looked quirky, rather than premium. In fact, I have to say it’s downright ugly and from a functionality standpoint it’s a nightmare.

Put aside for a fact that the novelty-sized speedometer has all the visual appeal of roadkill, it’s just not a good location. The climate control buttons are difficult to use as they require you to push up or down on a surface that is almost flush with the center stack. The “toggle” switches are annoying and the big knob located with the audio control buttons actually controls the radio presets – the volume knob is lower down. It’s almost as if when they designed the interior controls of the MINI they started from scratch and ignored every basic principle of automotive ergonomics that has been established over the past several decades.

And sure the car has a cool start-stop button, but you still have to slide the cheap plastic fob into the cheap plastic insert in the dash (where it doesn’t seem to fit very well) and then press the tiny cheap-looking button. An “intelligent” keyless push-button system would be nice as a standard feature, given the MINI’s $24,550 ($29,950 CDN) MSRP.

When it comes to safety, the Cooper Convertible isn’t lacking with front and side airbags, ABS, EBD, Brake Assist and Cornering Brake Control. As mentioned stability control is standard, while traction control and EDLC are optional. A tire pressure monitoring system comes on all models, as do run flat tires.

THE VERDICT

As a drop-top the Cooper Convertible is a solid buy, offering the fun you want with a lot more functionality than you’d expect. The rest comes down to whether you like the design and can live with the interior.

While I can appreciate how some people love the exterior look, especially as it stands out from the crowd of Corollas, the design just doesn’t do it for me. No doubt for MINI buyers the car’s iconic design is a strong reason to purchase and it had better be because that is in many ways what you are paying for – along with the excessively individualistic interior. Oh, and let’s not forget the car’s fabulous handling.

In some ways, $25,000 sounds steep for just 118hp, but all things considered it’s completely justified as the Cooper Convertible delivers more fun than cars with twice the output.

It’s so much fun I can almost overlook the car’s quirkiness… almost.

The 2011 Aston Martin Rapide is a unique automobile in more ways than one. A first of its kind for the brand, it features swan-doors and excellent room for up to four adults. Each occupant is provided with a sculpted, hand-stitched leather seat, expansive legroom and a driving experience certain to put a smile on the face of any secret agent.

FAST FACTS
1. Powered exclusively by a 470-hp 6.0L V12, the Rapide hits 60 mph in 5.0 seconds.

2. Top speed is an incredible 184-mph.

3. While a sedan, the Rapide feature’s Aston’s swan-doors that open out and slightly up to avoid hitting curbs.

4. Pricing for the Rapide starts at $197,850

Now if the idea of a sports car automaker producing a sedan seems a little out of the ordinary, consider the Porsche Panamera and Ferrari FF as strong indicators the future of fast cars will carry the whole family plus luggage. Let the good times roll!

RAPID POWER AND AGILITY

Performance comes by way of a mid-mounted all alloy 48-valve 6.0-liter V12 engine. It produces an astounding 470 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 443 lb-ft of torque at 5000 rpm. Matched to a rear mid-mounted 6-speed “Touchtronic 2” gearbox with electronic shift-by-wire control, it accelerates to 60 mph in 5.0 seconds while reaching a top speed of 184 mph.

A rear-wheel drive sports car of the highest caliber, the standard rack-and-pinion set up with Servotronic speed-sensitive power-assisted steering performs at maximum level as we soon discover leaving the parking lot on a British-style fish and chips pub crawl.

Fitted with 20-inch alloy wheels and 245/40/20 front, 295/35/20 rear Bridgestone Potenza high-performance tires, we make our way north and west out of the gated entrance at Aston Martin Headquarters in Gaydon, England.

Independent double wishbone suspension front and back features anti-dive geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and mono tube adaptive dampers. The rear adds anti-lift geometry to keep the vehicle firmly in place.

HANDLING AND SAFETY RATE HIGH

Driving on hedge-lined back roads, we put this to the test passing trucks and slower sedans on the tight twisty two-lanes so plentiful in rural England. A few ah’s and gasps are heard from the passenger seats, but overall the ride is supple with confidence in the handling ability of the Rapide never in doubt.

Additional safety and handling features include DSC (Dynamic Stability Control), EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution), EBA (Emergency Brake Assist), Traction Control, PTC (Positive Torque Control) and 4-wheel multi-piston disc brakes with ABS. Few super-performance cars equipped with so much technology do such a masterful job of providing the ultimate in safety, while at the same time allowing the driver to remain in complete control. This is high speed driving at its best.

INTERIOR DESIGNED WITH CLASS

Four full-grain leather seats provide ample room for adults of all sizes. Sitting in the backseat, my 6’ 1” frame fits comfortably all around. Headroom is excellent, so too is leg and hip room. Elongated seats provide superior support for the lower back, extending upwards well beyond the norm to provide integrated headrests in a molded, yet completely accessible package.

Walnut dash trim is standard along with Iridium Silver and Graphite metallic accents. On this day, our vehicle is equipped with the optional Piano Black fascia trim, red stitching on the seats and a rear seat entertainment system with 6-disc DVD player and wireless headphones.

Storage is surprisingly good given the stout dimensions of the trunk, but don’t expect to carry four large suitcases and four people all at the same time. With this in mind, Aston Martin provides the ultimate luxury add-on, stylized luggage designed to fit in place while looking the part. Front door pouches are a useful size as are the stitched leather center console cupholders. The standard umbrella is perfect for those times when the weather turns rainy, which in jolly old England happens frequently.

THE VERDICT

The 2011 Aston Martin Rapide is a successful attempt by the automaker to establish itself as a player in the super lux sedan market. Competition is fierce, from traditional German luxury saloons, as well as vehicles like the Maserati Quattroporte and Porsche Panamera. And while the Panamera Turbo is the all-out performance king (and value-priced by comparison), when you can also purchase a V6-powered model for $74,000 it takes away some of the vehicle’s panache.

At nearly $200,000 to start, the Aston on the other hand has a certain cache ready to catch the eye of a well-heeled buyer looking for something unique. Now you can be a superspy and bring the whole family along for the ride of their life.

An episode of The Simpsons that aired in 1995 gave us a vision of life in the year 2010, and the marriage of Lisa Simpson to a British aristocrat. Amid talk of World War III, sentient robots and flying cars, Lisa and her fianc part ways after he tells her she is “a flower that grew out of a pot of dirt”. We may not be blessed with Jetsons-era technology, but we are blessed with a Venus Fly Trap of a car, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR, one that truly did emerge from a worm-infested vase of mulch.

FAST FACTS
1. The Evo is powered by a 291-hp 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder and can hit 60 mph in roughly 4.5 seconds.

2. MR models come with Bilstein shocks, Eibach springs, upgraded Brembo brakes and the 6-speed SST Twin-Clutch transmission.

3. As of writing this Mitsubishi CEO Osamu Masuko has refuted claims that the Evo will be axed, but did say the car will “evolve” and head in a new direction.

Mitsubishi is in a difficult spot, with a lineup that is radioactive to buyers and lacking the resources to do much about it, but that hasn’t stopped them from making strides. The new Outlander Sport is a decent effort, but cars like the dismal Galant still loom in the background. Fortunately, the brand has a luminous halo in the form of the Lancer Evolution, a car that does nothing for the company’s bottom line, but everything for its image and reputation.

SO MUCH IS WRONG

With the Evo comes all the hype of more than a decade of American consumers being denied this car, and it’s important to establish the Evo is many things, but refined is not one of them. The interior is still behind the Koreans in terms of quality and finish. The ride is stiff and uncompromising in day to day driving, the Recaro seats, while aesthetically arresting, offer little concessions to comfort or convenience, the trunk can barely hold a carry-on suitcase and a helmet bag (essentials for a track day far from home) and the go-fast bits like the BBS alloys, bright red Brembo brakes and the painfully gauche rear wing (notably absent on our test car) would give one second thoughts about taking the boss for lunch in this car.

Fuel economy is also abysmal, with a tiny tank and a thirsty turbocharged 4-cylinder engine returning 12 mpg in our admittedly spirited city driving. Nevertheless, we have seen V8 muscle cars like the Ford Shelby GT500 deliver better numbers, and this isn’t the first time AutoGuide has gotten outrageously poor fuel economy from the EVO.

BUT SO MUCH MORE IS DONE RIGHT

Mitsubishi threw all of its eggs into the performance basket, and if this is the kind of omelet you want, you will be richly rewarded. The steering has NASA-like precision, always direct, well weighted and blessed with the ability to move the car using inputs from the pads of your fingers.

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“Vague” is a word noticeably absent from the vocabulary of the Evo’s engineering team. You are always plugged in to every function of the car. The motor might make a dull drone and a host of turbo sucking sounds, but those get lost in the periphery as you try and keep your vision after stepping on the gas. The sprint to 60 mph is quoted at roughly 4.5 seconds, a tame figure by modern performance car standards, but you would never know that, since highway onramps can have you well beyond that without even trying. The same kind of pace can be kept when you exit the freeway, with the Evo staying absolutely unflappable no matter the situation. The car rewards good driving and absolves your worst sins behind the wheel, leaving you with a rush of serotonin to the brain, and your passengers queasy with the terror of imminent death.

Halfway through our week with the car some time back in mid-winter, we were dumped with a foot of snow, and it didn’t matter one iota. One switch of the all-wheel-drive control to “Snow” mode and we braved whiteout conditions, burning down the freeway at 80 mph, the Evo surefooted as can be, dodging panicking drivers in SUVs on the way to our destination. At a Starbucks pit stop, donuts and rally-style heroics through the unplowed parking lot were the norm, leaving us scarcely believing that we weren’t playing a video game.

Although our hearts may have been set on a stick-shift, the Evo’s twin clutch SST gearbox was better matched to this car than our ham-fisted shifting. Unlike other systems, such as the Volkswagen DSG or Ford’s own dual clutch, this one is firmly biased towards feeling like a manual. On inclines, the engine revs itself noticeably before the electronic clutches let out and the car crawls forward. Shifts are quick in “Sport” mode, though less noticeable in the “Normal” setting. The paddles are large and easy to manipulate, and passing someone even in 6th is laughably easy. If you really need to haul ass, a couple clicks of the left hand stalk and they’ll soon be a fuzzy blip in your rearview mirror.

PLEASES LIKE ONLY A PURIST'S CAR CAN

As we drove the Evo, we began to think of the Nissan GT-R, another car kept from our shores for so long, only to be recently released here amid enormous fanfare. Ultimately, the GT-R proved to be polarizing, with some loving the techno-gadgetry and vicious performance, while others detested the lack of visceral interaction, the enormous bulk and the juvenile aura surrounding the car. With the Evo, you can have it all in a smaller, slightly more discrete package, with a useable backseat and no trouble communicating with the driver.

Even amid a bitter, damp February, the Evo was an automotive anti-depressant, a car that reminded us that even though most mainstream cars are so sanitized as to be nearly indistinguishable, something truly special can emerge and make us feel enthusiastic about the automobile again, even from a company that is going through truly dire times.

THE VERDICT

In today’s marketplace, the idea of “branding” often comes before the actual product, and if you opted for the Audi S4, a more expensive but elementally similar car to the Evo, but costing $10,000 more, you can have a “premium” ownership experience, attract members of the opposite sex and impress friends and family with supposed financial success. On the other hand, you can eschew the kitschy cachet of driving an “Ahhdeee”, ignoring the shiny and pretty, and walk into a dank, empty showroom staffed by people whose shirt and tie came in the same box, and cut a check for a $37,000 sedan that will tear your face off and leave the flesh hanging off its Fisher Price interior.

The choice is yours – but if you choose the Mitsubishi, you will know that you chose the best car, one with a transcendental appeal that will bring you unbridled joy behind the wheel long after the tastemakers have moved on to the next “must-have” luxury car. The fact that the Evo is slated to die (or ‘evolve’) within a couple years should give you a sense of urgency about owning one, but frankly, if you are the kind of person who is willing to buy this car, you have probably made up your mind before reading this review, rather than being a fashion victim of the latest chic luxury brands.

After being available in global markets for more than a year, General Motors is set to launch sales of the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze in the United States with an ad campaign beginning the second week of September, followed by the arrival of actual units on showroom floors about a week later.

Fuel economy ratings on the Cruze LS should bolster its popularity. Powered by a 1.8-liter, naturally aspirated, 138 hp, I-4 engine (123 lb. ft. of torque) the six-speed manual returns 26 mpg city and 36 highway; the automatic, 22/35. Turbocharged models (LT and LTZ) have a 1.4-liter I-4 with 148 lb. ft. of torque and get 24/36 with a six-speed automatic transmission.

The Cruze Eco will not be available at launch, but should be at dealerships by year's end. Outfitted with ultra-low rolling resistance tires and body panels optimized for air flow, the model will reportedly get 40 mpg highway. That estimate has not, however, been certified by the EPA.

In an interesting move, dealers have been directed to purchase Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla sedans to allow consumers to test drive the competition on the lot. The car will be specifically marketed to the "20-something" demographic as well as "empty-nesters" age 45 to 60 who have been major purchasers of both the Corolla and the Civic.