MINI Roadster will use a manual folding roof

For the upcoming Roadster, MINI will use a manual folding roof instead of an automatic one. MINI decided to revert to the basics for this two-seater to reduce the weight and to save costs. The new manual system will consist of a big latch or two to hold the folding cloth top to the car’s windscreen. The Roadster and the Coupe had this retractable spoiler at the back and this means that their weight is distributed better than the Cooper.
However, MINI engineers were swayed by the advantages related to being lighter and of course, with being less expensive. The problem is that this is a premium model and customers aren’t likely to favor this change. It’s possible though that MINI will offer the automatic system as an option in the future.