Mini R56 cabriolet looms

Perhaps even moreso than the steel-topped three-door version, the next generation Mini cabrio takes a trained eye to detect.

But, as shown in these pix snapped by Carparazzi of a car on test in Scandinavia, the forthcoming Mini soft top picks up the all-new body skin of the new R56 Cooper and Cooper S.

All the subtle elements that make up the new Mini are there: the bootlid bulge under the rear window, the slightly raised shoulder line, the fixed headlights and the bonnet shut line near the side repeater lamps that recalls the weld seam of the original.

And, although we don't see much of it in these spy shots, the new BMW-redolent interior with improved apparent quality and the world's biggest speedo housing.

The rear pic however doesn't suggest any improvement in visibility towards the back three-quarter view. Let's at least hope they've been able to tuck the folded roof away a little better.

It could be presumed that the trickily-clever features of the current cabrio, such as the bottom-hinged bootlid, the sunroof and the ability to act as a sort of three-door hatch are retained.

Otherwise we can expect the new Mini cabrio to show all the strengths of the latest R56 Mini hardtop, including improved safety as well as the quality upgrade that comes from the fact it is now an all-BMW development.

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