IF YOU go by looks alone, you can be forgiven for thinking that there’s an awful lot of fuss about very little regarding the so-called new Mini Convertible. After all, it’s got to look like a Mini for it to remain faithful to the brand.

And yes, before you take issue with the car being a sell out and part of a larger corporate-style brand, the huge number of owners around the world currently enjoying roof-down motoring should put an end to any gnashing of teeth by the purists. The car is popular, end of story.

It may be popular but like all things in the car world it’s always possible to make improvements without harming the fundamental design. A subtle visual refresh is always worth doing, only with the Mini Convertible the changes really do need pointing out. Gone are the retro-style boot hinges, for instance.

There are other simple changes, although they only serve to prove that the original - that’s the ‘new’ car - design was pretty much spot on from the beginning. A nip here, tuck there and the most subtle of tweaks round off a pretty easy time for the design department.

The only really obvious visual change is to the car’s roll over protection bars. Once they stood proud behind the rear seats and weren’t afraid to block your view. Not any more - the new device stay out of sight behind the head rests until (hopefully not) needed, and then pop up, ready to save your bacon.

Saving the Mini’s bacon in the face of leaner, greener and more driver orientated rivals is a new gearbox and engine package plus a much stiffer body. The latter proves invaluable on less than smooth roads and when you want to have some fun. There’s none of the shake and wobble that drivers of the old car experienced.

On the gearbox front, all cars get a six-speed manual transmission as standard - something that wasn’t the case with the base version of the previous generation car. Sixth is something of an overdrive, with it proving most useful on long motorway journeys where comfort and economy take priority.

The engines are, as you would expect, what you’ll find in the latest generation Mini hatch - another car that’s received the upgrade treatment of late. For now it’s a choice of a regular or turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol motor (120 and 175 horsepower), which powers the Cooper and Cooper S respectively.

As like so many BMWs and the Mini hatch, the Convertible gains stop-start technology, brake energy regeneration and a gearshift indicator to boost its fuel and CO2-saving credentials.

Out on the road it’s hard not to like the Cooper, it goes well and never really feels lacking in the power department. Most welcome is the six-speed gearbox and its slick, short throw action. And if you keep the wheel choice to something of a sensible size, poorly surfaced roads cause few problems. All in all, a pretty good lesson in how to sensibly improve on an already good product without spoiling it. Even the steering gets a makeover, resulting in a more direct and accurate experience.

You can multiply the fun factor tenfold when talking about the Cooper S. The engine’s extra power and torque make a big difference, yet there’s no real trade off in terms of the car’s ride and handling. It’s just more fun, plain and simple. And the best bit is that you can easily use it for urban trips without a hint of a compromise. That goes for the Cooper also, although you’d expect that from the less wild stablemate.

Let’s not forget the main reason for this car’s existence: the roof. While it’s good to finally get air-con standard across the range, the ability to fold the roof electrically in 20 seconds at speeds of up to 20mph is pretty good. And, with the roof up, you have the option of a sunroof roof mode; you can retract a section of the roof at up to 75mph.

There’s no question that this Mini Convertible will be as popular as the previous one. Looks aside, which will never change significantly, it’s an impressive package boasting enough fun for the keen driver, enough practicality for the regular driver - boot space has increased slightly - and a roof system offering hatch-like refinement and luxury drop-top convenience. The cleaner, more powerful engines are the icing on the cake.

FACTS AT A GLANCE

Model: Mini Cooper Convertible, from £15,995 on the road.

Engine: 1.6-litre petrol unit developing 120bhp.

Transmission: 6-speed manual transmission as standard, driving the front wheels.

Performance: Maximum speed 123mph, 0-62mph 9.8 seconds.

Economy: 49.6mpg.

CO2 Rating: 137g/km.