THE MINI convertible recently made the news after becoming the first car to be banned from UK driving tests.
Apparently the Driving Standards Agency feels the distinctive metal hoops behind the front seats block the rear view of learners and examiners.
That's bad luck for L-platers as, in my opinion, the cutest car on the planet is an ideal place to learn all about the joys of motoring.
Driving the MINI still reminds me of being a child and whizzing around go-kart tracks in Blackpool and Skegness. Driving back then literally was kid's play - simply hit the pedal and steer.
The MINI Cooper convertible is much the same. It has very responsive power steering, hugs the road brilliantly and its gears are slicker than an oil spill.
And, like the go-kart, it is also a 'mucho-fun' vehicle to drive - a fact that has obviously helped add to rocketing sales figures.
BMW sold almost 53,000 MINIs in the first quarter of this year, which was up 10 per cent on the first three months of 2004.
Much of that success is down to the launch of the convertible last summer. It now accounts for an incredible one in five of all sales.
Let's face it, the soft-top has become hugely popular because it just looks so downright cool when the roof is down. So cool, in fact that even sexy Hollywood stars like Jennifer Love Hewitt have splashed out on this little Brit of magic.
But does performance match the looks? Well, while it only has a modest 115bhp engine, the MINI always feels as if it has plenty of power at its disposal. It also shows a pretty tasty turn of speed - not quite the bursts of the super Cooper S, though!.
The interior is minimalistic, but pleasantly so, and the trademark large dashboard dials look fantastic at night with their blue/orange tint backlights.
You get a lot of kit with the Cooper convertible - including park distance control, heated rear glass window, electric door mirrors and tinted glass. But of course what you do not get with any MINI is space.
I packed myself, one tiny sister and two tinier nieces into the car and it was a very snug fit. Fitting four adults into the vehicle is do-able but would be a little claustrophobic.
Still, flicking the roof back would allow them to feel the fresh air, but going topless reduces the space available in the little boot even further.
Safety is obviously important and the MINI has been extensively reinforced for structural rigidity and has a pair of rollover bars behind the rear seats.
Fuel consumption is also a very economical 38.7mpg - another big selling point for this tiny classic
FAST FACTS
MINI Cooper Convertible
Price: £14,630
Mechanical: 115bhp, 1,598cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 5spd manual gearbox
Max speed: 120mph
0-62mph: 9.8 secs
Combined mpg: 38.7
Insurance group: 9
CO2 emissions: 175g/km
BiK rating: 22%
Warranty: 3yrs/ unlimited mileage; 6yrs paint; 6yrs anti-rust