IT'S rare that I ever get an opinion from the other half about cars apart from occasional gripes about the seats, the doors, or even the colour.

So, imagine my shock when she said: "I love it, I want one, how much is it?" The last question gave her a shock, but she was still impressed.

MINIs are impressive but this turbocharged drop-top comes with anything but a mini price tag.

The convertible, complete with its John Cooper Works super spec, has been pimped inside, outside and under the bonnet.

The low skirting at the front, side and back, are complemented by twin exhausts producing a pleasent hum, huge spoked alloy wheels and bonnet air-scoop.

Others have tried and failed to copy its quirky designs, but this model is particularly special.

The middle of the retro central speedo dial doubles up as a hidden sat nav screen, which sits above the now familiar pilot-style toggle switches.

There is plenty of leather and chrome inside and a feeling of quality in almost every corner of the small but perfectly formed interior. 

Standard kit includes huge and attractive 17-inch wheels with spoke alloys, sporty leather seats, run-flat tyres, parking sensors, steering wheel controls, climate control, and xenon headlights.

There is also an optional media pack that includes sat nav, Bluetooth and DAB radio which you might expect as standard for a car costing more than £25,000.

However, the convertible is a delight. A toggle switch above your head drops the fabric roof down effortlesly in just 12 seconds.

And it sits on the back, which helpfully saves you a boot which is still big enough for overnight bags.

The only drawback, and it's a common one in cars like this, is that it obstructs vision when reversing.

There are four seats, tiny ones n the back if you are an adult and the headroom will also be limited when the roof is up.

The two pop up chrome hoops on the back look stylish when the roof is down and act a safety measure in case of a rollover.

Other security and safety features include standard front and side airbags, along with stability control, traction control, automatic seatbelt tensioners and ISOFIX child seat fittings.

It's behind the wheel where you start to get the real pleasure.

Unlike droptops of the past it's as nice and as rewarding to drive with the roof up as down.

The noise inside the cabin, is not a major issue, but the ride does suffer in this variation.

The 1.6-litre turbocharged power plant produces an eye-watering 211bhp.

With the excellent handling, stiff steering and sub seven-second sprint time it's a rapid machine and handles well, but the trade off is that you will feel every single bump on the road courtesy of the stiff suspension.

The JCW version comes with a hefty price tag of £26,295 but the spec list, styling and the fact that it will be able to hold more of its value than almost any other car on the road, should compensate.