The list of special edition Minis continues to grow with the introduction of the Green Park and Hyde Park editions. Available in Clubman or Hatchback body style, as we’ve come to expect from Mini, the changes are cosmetic rather than actually being any different to a regular Mini.

The Mini Hyde Park comes in Pepper White with Hot Chocolate stripes and highlights. Inside the Hyde Park, Pepper White paint abounds and provides a more retro-ish feel to the cabin, with seats in a leather/cloth combination, a ‘Mini Yours’ dashboard as well as black or beige colour line.

The Mini Green Park also comes in Pepper White, but this time it gets British Racing Green stripes and highlights. The inside again features Pepper White surfaces, this time with seats in black or beige and a Mini Yours leather dash in Black/Polar Beige.

Mini hasn’t announced pricing yet, but they’re not expected to be too much different from those of the regular Mini hatch and Clubman models.

Nine years after its revival, Mini’s fun-loving character and individual appeal is still winning hearts. However, there’s a new face on the premium small car scene in the shape of the Audi A1. Mini has thus responded with a number of subtle updates to its already winning formula, in an effort to cement its appeal amongst trendy ad execs, graphic designers and other iPhone-wielding trendoids.

Boasting a variety of body styles, from the two-door Cooper and Cooper Convertible models, to the more versatile Clubman and most recently, the four-seater Countryman, Mini promises to offer something for everyone. If that’s not enough, expect to see more models join the range in the coming months as the brand begins to stretch the concept of the original 1960′s British icon with the Coupe, Speedster and Paceman that are all expected in the near future.

For 2011, the Mini range benefits from subtle exterior updates. These include a new front bumper design that better meets the ever increasingly stringent pedestrian protection requirements, as well as offering a slight improvement in aerodynamics. The front foglights feature new chrome surrounds, while all models are now equipped with LEDs for the rear lights, as well as the dynamic brake light function. At the same time, new wheel variants, paint finishes and optional extras, accentuate both the elegance and premium character of the Mini family.

Inside, all Minis boast newly designed controls for the audio and air conditioning systems for improved ergonomics. The available choice of seat upholstery, trim elements and colour lines has also been updated. A new audio and navigation system, together with inputs for external music players and mobile phones, takes care of entertainment and communications. Plus, the Mini ‘Visual Boost’ radio and Mini navigation system also feature Mini Connected.

The Mini Connected application gives owners access to streaming Internet radio and reception of RSS news feeds. Moreover, it also enables Facebook and Twitter posts to be displayed on the on-board monitor and allows the user to send standardised text messages. Unfortunately, at this stage, the system works exclusively with the Apple iPhone and requires a USB connection to function. With a bit of luck, in future, Mini’s propellerheads will ad compatibility for Blackberry devices and Bluetooth connectivity.

Under the skin, the Mini range remains unchanged, save for the engines, which benefit from a slight increase in peak power. Both petrol engines are equipped with fully variable valve management, which is based on the Valvetronic system used in BMW engines and serves to offer a responsive character while improving efficiency. The 1.6-litre, 16-valve engine found in the Cooper range of vehicles has received a 2 kW boost in power to 90 kW, with torque remaining unchanged at 160 N.m. The naturally aspirated 1.6 delivers average fuel consumption of 5.8 L/100km and CO2 emissions of 136 g/km.

In the sportier Cooper S models, the engine is equipped with direct injection and a twin-scroll turbocharger, making the engine the most efficient in its displacement class. Power is up by 7 kW to 135 kW, while the torque of 240 N.m remains unchanged and an extra 20 N.m is still available as an ‘overboost’ in gears 1 through 3. At the same time, Mini say the average fuel consumption is 6.3 L/100km and CO2 emissions are 146 g/km – which, in all likelihood, is optimistic for a car that loves to dart around city streets like a squirrel between trees.

Refreshed with more power, more tech and more style, the Mini range continues at the forefront of ‘cool’.

Click here to watch a video demonstration of the Mini Connected system by Mini SA Product Manager, Chris Potgieter.

Launched late last year, along with the larger Clubman model, the John Cooper Works (JCW) version of the MINI Convertible dispels any notion of being a hairdresser’s car. Having said that, an appointment with your hairdresser may be necessary as the JCW Convertible will literally blow your hair back.

The MINI JCW Convertible’s main attraction is, of course, the engine. A reworked version of the 1,6-litre twin-scroll turbocharged unit found in the MINI Cooper S Convertible is responsible for churning out 155 kW and 260 N.m of torque. JCW engineers have made a number of changes to achieve these figures, including improved air flow to the turbocharger, improved exhaust gas management for better turbo response at low engine speeds, as well as increased charge pressure from 0.9 to 1.3 bar. The result is a healthy torque curve between 1 850 – 5 600 rpm, with an additional 20 N.m ‘Overboost’ function available between 2 000 rpm and 5 300 rpm.

In the real world this means the MINI JCW Convertible doesn’t hang about. In-gear acceleration is impressive, even when using higher gears at lower speeds. With less weight to cart around (1 230 kg’s) compared to larger, similarly powered hot hatches, the MINI JCW Convertible rockets off the line and reaches 100 km/h in a claimed 6.9 seconds and has a top speed of 235 km/h. MINI claim the average fuel consumption to be 7.1 l/100km and CO2 emissions to 169 grams per kilometre. Thanks to the wide spread of torque this figure is not overly optimistic, as we were able to achieve 7.4 l/100km in the extra urban environment. It is optimistic to think that you’d be able to resist experiencing the MINI’s tantalising performance at any opportunity.

But as the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility and so when you decide to bury your right foot, you’d better be able to keep up. Under full acceleration you’ll be single-handedly fighting fierce torque-steer as you snap through the gears. The short-wheelbase and sports suspension mean the car responds to every bump and imperfection in the road, following the camber and demanding focus to keep the car on your chosen line.

The JCW’s suspension is hard and not very forgiving. On pristine, smooth road surfaces the JCW is fantastic, with loads of grip exploitable via the accurate and quick steering. In fact, the JCW’s grip levels feel pretty much on par with the latest, and well sorted, Renault Clio RS, which sticks to the road like a gecko to a wall. As on the Coopers S, the ‘Sport’ button sharpens throttle response and firms up the steering, placing the MINI in ‘attack mode’. Pressing the ‘DTC’ button (Dynamic Traction Control) activates the electronic diff-lock on the front axle. This system limits slip from a drive wheel by applying the brakes appropriately, allowing you to floor the accelerator pedal out of corners without understeering off into the bushes. The DTC system does allow a smooth and controllable amount of wheelspin, with the DSC system still able to assist in avoiding potential disaster – beware the lift off oversteer though. The MINI JCW is fitted with a set of John Cooper Works emblazoned, red aluminium brake callipers, with 316 mm discs up front and 280 mm at the rear.

As with the Cooper S Convertible, the JCW’s body has been crash-optimised and reinforced to provide extra rigidity. With the roof up there is still a fair amount of chassis flex evident through the creeks and rattles of the folding roof. The low profile 17-inch run flat tyres and taught sports suspension don’t help in this regard, but fold down the canvas roof (in just 15 seconds) and the car transforms into a smooth operator, with any obvious signs of scuttle shake dissolved. The topless driving experience is similar to that of the Cooper S Convertible we tested a few months ago, but with the major difference being the sound from the sports exhaust. The ‘wooosh’ from the turbocharger and a raspy exhaust note resonate at the slightest touch of the accelerator, while the two large tail pipes emit crackles and pops each time you lift off the throttle. And, if you lift off the throttle at high revs in 2nd or 3rd gear, you’ll be rewarded with a satisfying backfire and a scowl from innocent bystanders.

It’s an eye-catching car, especially in bright red and easily stands out from more ‘standard’ MINI’s in the range, thanks to a sporty bodykit consisting of deep bumpers, gloss black accents around the grille and on the side mirrors, vented side skirts, exclusive 17-inch JCW wheels and large twin exhaust protruding beneath the rear bumper.

At R378 850, before selecting any options, the MINI JCW Convertible is not cheap. But you don’t buy the JCW Convertible for its practicality or fuel economy. You buy a MINI Cooper JCW Convertible for its head turning looks and sound, its involving drive and the heightened experience of it all with the roof off. Plus, you can rest assured knowing you can blow off any pretenders from robot-to-robot.