You know, it is strange how all these pieces that you read, I try to present them like a movie. A setup, a slow unveil, and a satisfying conclusion. It would be pointless to reveal the mystique of a story right from the beginning. But I keep forgetting that the text is accompanied by photos. So you already know what is going on. Regardless, just because you know doesn’t mean that I cannot tell you a compelling story. So, this one is about the MINI Cooper Convertible, as you can tell. And the setting of the story is Jaisalmer, if you can’t tell. 

I will be forthcoming with you. This is not going to be a review per se. I do not like to do that. Instead, I will share my experience. The experience of driving this MINI in and around Jaisalmer. There will be numbers where they are needed, of course, but I am going to avoid falling into the trap of making this an infomercial. Now that you know what you are in for, if you are still interested, fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the ride. 

First off, Jaisalmer. It is known as the Golden City of India. It is because of the colour of the majority of the buildings. More than that though, the real beauty of Jaisalmer can be seen when the sunlight catches it. And no, not throughout the day. I believe that the beauty of things is only appreciated when it is fleeting. So at sunrise, when the soft glow is about to give way to harsh sunlight, Jaisalmer looks beautiful. And at sunset, when the light is about to leave us altogether, Jaisalmer looks beautiful. 

This experience is divided into two days. On the first one, I got my hands on the MINI Cooper S Convertible. It was a sort of Sea-Green or Blue-Algae sort of a shade. Simply put, the colour scheme was striking. More than that though, there is just something about a cute little MINI that puts a smile on your face. There must be a reason why MINI has endured for so long, and while modernity has taken over, it still has that old-school MINI charm about it that cannot be beaten. The fact that this one is a convertible makes it even better. 

The place where I started was a beautiful property, and that is where I took a lot of photos of MINI from all angles. It retains that traditional MINI silhouette. Round headlamps, Union Jack taillamps, smooth lines and a diminutive footprint. It is not too small a car, but somehow, it still looks MINI. With the soft roof on, it looks pretty, but with the top down, which takes 18 seconds and can be done at up to 30 kays an hour, it looks too cute to resist. 

The first place that I went to was the Jaisalmer Fort. And since it was a drive and a half, let us talk about how it drives. The MINI Cooper S Convertible has a 2L TwinPower turbo petrol engine that equips it with around 204 horses and 300 Nm of torques. It has a 7-speed DCT, and the power is exclusively sent to the front wheels. I am not a big fan of front-wheel drive cars, to be honest. But MINI is different. That is why I had one (2022 MINI Cooper S 3-door) as a part of the xBhp Garage for a significant amount of time. 

How is it different, you ask? Well, that is because the steering is so direct. Despite being front-wheel drive, it almost mitigates all the negative aspects of a front-wheel drive car. Thanks to the dynamics and the tuning, the MINI Cooper S Convertible feels lively. It darts into corners and inspires a ton of confidence, sometimes too much of it. MINI has always been known for that go-kart feeling, and this one is no different. You point its nose in the intended direction, and it obliges like an excited but obedient child. 

I will talk about the engine in a while as well, but since I have arrived at the Jaisalmer Fort, let me talk about that. I hired a three-wheeler to lead us so that I could get some good vantage points around the fort and also some information. Following the three-wheeler around, I realised that the MINI was almost the same size and navigated the tight city streets with ease… maybe even more than the three-wheeler that is meant for such an environment. But since it had a wheel less, I was willing to forgive the lethargy. 

After a fair few photos, I had my questions. Our ragtag tour guide told us that the Jaisalmer Fort was built by Rawal Jaisal in 1156. That gave me an idea about the name of the city, except for the Mer bit. About that, he told me that since the Fort is situated at a sort of mountain and Meru is a mountain in Sanskrit, that is where the name was derived from. All I knew and cared about was that the place was absolutely mesmerizing and I loved every moment I spent there. 

Before sunset, we also visited the Bada Bagh, which is one of the Chhatris in Jaisalmer. A Chhatri is a cenotaph, and a cenotaph is an empty grave for someone whose actual remains are elsewhere. It is a way of honouring them. The Bada Bagh was a cenotaph for the Royals. On that note, I feel like the MINI Cooper S Convertible would make for a fitting chariot for the descendants of those royals visiting the place that honours their ancestors. The structures were built out of sandstone, which lends them the sort of ethereal beauty that keeps your eyes glued to them without blinking till they dry out. 

It was time for us to head back and get to the next day, on which we still had a fair few places to visit and a fair few aspects of the MINI Cooper S Convertible to explore. The next day, we had a small change. We ditched the Sea-Green or Blue-Algae MINI for a Yellow one that looked equally as pretty.

The first destination for the day was Kuldhara. Don’t be spooked. I have long hair, and I keep it loose, and still, no ghost got to me. That is, besides the fact that I went there during the day. Now, this is where I’d like to talk about the interior of the MINI. For your luggage, you have 160 litres of space. If you fold the rear seats, it expands to 215 litres. Talking about the rear seats, they are actually usable. Despite it being a MINI, the rear seats can seat regular-sized people, at least for a little while. A drive around the town, I do not think your companions would complain. That said, keep in mind that this is no Limo or an SUV. 

The real highlight of the interior is the OLED screen. The 240mm circular display is one of the most vibrant and slick ones that I have ever used. I wonder why they do not use the same tech in other BMW cars. It packs a ton of features, which can be a nuisance for some people because of the complex navigation, but I am a gadget freak, so I had no problems with it. You also get a HUD display that shows basic info, such as navigation and so on. The OLED can be customised in various modes and themes. Another cool touch is that the theme is also reflected on the HUD display in correspondence with the circular OLED touchscreen. 

The front seats are electronically adjustable, and the driver’s seat has a massage function as well. Personally, open-top driving is all the massage and therapy I need in a car like this. There is also a centre console that has a rotary knob for volume control, a twist-to-operate engine start stop switch, and a toggle for the Experiences (the modes and themes I mentioned earlier). 

Finally, there’s a toggle for the drive selector. A toggle… no levers or anything. A toggle switch. I mean, the gearbox itself is quite alright, more on that later, but a toggle… that is a miss because this car is so engaging to drive and yet, there is no way to manually control the gearbox. A toggle replacing a lever… that hurt me a bit. Other than that, there’s ambient lighting that looks really good on the sort of knit-dash. And there’s a 12-speaker 365W Harmon/Kardon music system if you enjoy your music with a bit of wind in your hair. 

Regardless, we reached Kuldhara in a jiffy. Legend has it that this town was left uninhabited overnight because someone cursed it. I do not know if there are actual ghosts here or not, but the place has an eerie serenity that you cannot help but be engulfed by. Also, whether ghosts can gain entry in your soul and how they can do that aside, this particular MINI allows you to create virtual keys. So you can use your smartphone as a proper key to access the car. In its later updates, it will allow one to create 18 of them that you can share. 

After leaving Kuldhara, we went to visit the Sam Sand Dunes and the Windmill farm, the biggest onshore one in India. During this drive, I got to open the engine’s taps a little. The MINI Cooper S Convertible is a quick little bugger. It also has a go-kart mode that makes it even peppier and more responsive. Thanks to its dimensions, the 204 horses feel more than enough, and this particular MINI can go like the clappers if you want it to. 

MINI claims it can do 0-100 km/h in 6.9 seconds, and after flooring it on more than one occasion, I do not doubt that. MINI also claims a top speed of just short of 240 kays an hour, which is more than enough, and which is also something I did not test. Of course, I did not. I like fast, but not illegally… trust me, I do not, even if you have a hard time doing so. The only gripe I have is that there is no control over the gear shifts. In a car that is so engaging to drive, something like that is a miss. Again, the DCT is really snappy, but I like manual control as much as I like fast. 

Finally, we reached the Sam Sand Dunes and after that, the Windmill Farm. The expanse of these places not only reminds me of our insignificance in front of what nature has created and what man has built, but it also makes me feel thankful for the life I am living. You see, I have visited Jaisalmer before. It was when I decided to test the mettle of a Ninja H2 and a Suzuki Hayabusa in the searing heat of the desert. Yeah, I visited the place in peak summer and rode the motorcycles draped in a leather racing suit. I had my reasons. 

But here I am in the winters, driving a convertible MINI, which made me fall in love with the romance of open-top driving all over again. I am not sure what this one is going to be priced at. But the way I see it, you cannot put a price tag on romance. If you live in a place where open-top driving is viable, I do not think there is a more affordable performance car out there that can offer what the MINI Cooper S convertible does. If you do not live in such an area… well, you are just out of luck. Relocate your accommodation so that you can enjoy the weather. Relocate your finances so that you can enjoy this car. Or… miss out!