Mini Convertible Seaside Edition Debuts Looking Ready To Take To The Beach

December is an odd time to consider buying a convertible in the United Kingdom, but Mini apparently sees the winter as the perfect time to launch the droptop Seaside Edition. It's available to order there now starting at £34,500 ($41,698 at current exchange rates) on the road. In the United States, the special edition model arrives in the first quarter of 2023, and pricing details are coming at the end of January.

The Seaside Edition is available in a Caribbean Aqua or Nanuq White body. It rides on 18-inch wheels with a two-tone finish and a seven-spoke design with cut-out sections. A special badge is on the front fender, and there are white stripes on the upper portion of the flanks.

Inside, there are subtle stripes on the dashboard. A "Seaside" graphic appears on the steering wheel and door sill plates. The number 30 is on the key because this is the 30th anniversary of droptop Minis.

The Mini Convertible Seaside Edition is based on the Cooper S trim and has a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 176 horsepower (131 kilowatts). The droptop reaches 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) in 7.2 seconds.

Mini is currently preparing to launch several new models. Among them, a next-generation Hardtop is on the way with combustion and electric powertrains. Spy shots suggest the latest model adopts a less chiseled exterior design resulting in an appearance a little more like the version from the early 2000s.

The EV rides on a new, dedicated platform that's separate from what's underneath the next-gen Hardtop with a combustion engine. The base trim reportedly has a range of under 200 miles (322 kilometers). However, the range-topping variant would allegedly go around 250 miles (402 km).

We expect the new Hardtop models to premiere in 2023. The next-gen Convertible allegedly doesn't arrive until 2025. It's not clear whether Mini would keep the current droptop in production and in showrooms. Or, the automaker could phase it out for a couple of years to build excitement for the variant's return.

In addition, Mini is working on the Aceman electric crossover that allegedly joins the range in 2024. The Paceman nameplate might return as an EV. Spy shots show that a new Countryman is under development, too.