Kids On The Block
evo India|February 2017

One’s for the prankster, the other for the goodie two shoes.

Anand Mohan
Kids On The Block

MY COLLEAGUE DRIVING THE Mini forgot his wig for an authentic convertible experience, but for the rest of you, these are arguably the first two cars you will drive when you have the most hair on your head. The Mini Cooper S Convertible and the Audi A3 Cabriolet are entry level soft tops you can buy in India, but your first and most affordable convertible isn't exactly going to be easy on the wallet. Wind-in-the-hair (or scalp) feeling comes standard though. Get the roof tucked in and you can visit the countryside and explore the narrow country roads during these winter months. If there are two convertibles built to the proportions and ease of use of cars you find in India, they are these.

The Mini convertible is in its Cooper S trim that get's you a 2-litre turbocharged petrol mill under that small sculpted bonnet. 189bhp and 280Nm take the convertible past 100kmph in 7.1 seconds, which isn't going to pin you in your seats but is fast enough for an entertaining drive up a winding road. The A3 Cabrio on the other hand makes 177bhp and 250Nm and weighs about 60kg more than the Mini. It's 0.7 of a second slower to the tonne and prefers the lazy highway cruise more.

This story is from the February 2017 edition of evo India.

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This story is from the February 2017 edition of evo India.

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