The front of the Mini had to be restyled to conform to more rigid European restrictions on exterior panel shapes for pedestrian safety. Then the remainder of the car was restyled as well to blend with the new front end.

Park two examples side by side and you'll see immediately that the headlights of the second generation (2007 and later) model are rounder, the hood flatter, the grille more prominent than those of the first generation. Turn signals are now integrated into the headlight clusters, and bigger foglights (when ordered) are set into a simplified bumper where the turn signals used to be. Around back, wider taillights and a wider trim strip on the hatch echo the changes up front. The beltline rises faster, too, giving the rear end a more tapered look. In general, the latest Mini seems broader-shouldered and more aggressive than the last, and so departs even further from the narrow and square original. It is a little larger, too, measuring 2.36 inches longer. But we doubt most modern Mini buyers will mind or even notice.

In any case, close inspection of the exterior shows that in almost all areas, design and execution is upgraded from the first generation. One notable example is how the headlamp clusters are now firmly attached the front fenders, fitting through openings in the hood; where in the previous model the headlamps were built into the hood itself.

The convertible comes with a power canvas roof that opens at the touch of a button in just 15 seconds when the car is parked or traveling at up to 18 mph. There are no latches to operate. The convertible top has a heated glass rear window and a sliding roof function that opens just the portion over the front seats. It acts as a sunroof and can be opened at speeds up to 75 mph.

The soft-top maintains the same basic silhouette as the hardtop, though the rear window is tilted farther forward. The rear side windows are about a third of the size of those on the hardtop because the cloth top wraps further around the sides of the car. Behind the rear seat, the convertible has a concealed Active Rollover Protection Bar that pops up in case of a rollover. When the convertible top is down, it rests at the back of the car and sticks up a bit, sort of like a makeshift spoiler. The look is fine, but it blocks the driver's lower line of sight to the rear.