Lid off new MINI Cab

MINI has lifted the lid on its latest -- the new MINI Cooper Cabrio. And with it, has also introduced the world's most useless gauge -- the Always-Open Timer.

No it's not April 1, but it may as well be... The AOT [Ed: didn't that used to mean a#!e over tit?!] measures the amount of time the MINI Cabrio has been driven with the roof down. Says MINI: "This unprecedented instrument shows the driver and passengers the time they have spent driving with the roof down -- motivating the driver to really enjoy the thrill of open-air motoring as frequently as possible."

The new Cabrio is based on the R56 Cooper and uses the same MINI-built 1.6-litre atmo and turbocharged engines across its Cooper and Cooper S variants. The car features a new electric folding cloth roof (complete with sunroof function) that MINI says is operable up to 30km/h and takes just 15sec to stow.

In addition to the AOT, the new Cabrio gets an upgraded climate control system that features a 'cabrio' mode which "serves to provide a consistent set temperature under the influence of wind when the roof is opened".

The car is rigged for Apple's gadget of the moment, the iPhone, and a new 'Easy-Load Function' that delivers extra luggage space via folding rear seats and "the unusually large through-loading between the luggage and passenger compartment".

The latter feature is made possible by a redesign of the rear section of the Cabrio. This incorporates a lowline rollbar/brace. The rollbar has a pop-up function that is activated by onboard sensors when required.

Alas, if you're looking to score the new Cabrio and log some AOT time this summer, you're going to be disappointed. MINI Australia does not expect the new Cabrio to arrive Down Under until April 2009.

MINI also advises that stocks of the current MINI Cabrio are limited, with all but a handful of current models expected to have exited dealers by Christmas.