The Mini Roadster – alongside its Coupe twin – is the latest in a long line of niche models added to the company’s ever-growing portfolio.

While similar to the Hatch-based Cabriolet in looks, the Roadster is lower and wider, and comes with just two seats instead of four, along with more obvious sporting pretensions.

We drove the Cooper S entry model with the optional six-speed automatic transmission, and found it to be a delight, despite its numerous flaws.