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Below the waistline the Roadster is very recognisably a Mini.

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This, BMW assures us, is the final production version of the Mini roadster - the sixth model in the current line-up and the first open two-seater in Mini history.

It's a typically Mini interpretation of the compact, two-seater sports-car genre with a simple, manually-operated soft top, short overhangs and high waistline, rising slightly along the length of the body towards a flat rear end.

But it has considerably more steeply raked A pillars than the standard Mini - with the roof up it's still 20mm lower than even the Mini convertible - and it's very much a two-seater, with nothing but stainless-steel roll-over bars and a parcel shelf behind the front seats.

The roof unlocks at the simple twist of a lever on the windshield framer and folds flat behind the seats, with the outer skin on top, so there's no need for a cover when it's down.

To close it, press the button between roll-bars and the roof's leading edge pops up on gas struts; grab the handle, pull it forward over your head and give it a twist to lock it on to the windshield frame - it's that simple, much like the classic sports cars of the 1960s.

And, of course, the absence of electric motors, levers, struts and solenoid locking mechanisms not only saves weight but also lowers the centre of gravity.

Built into the boot lid is an active rear spoiler that extends automatically at 80km/h.

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The tall tail - which has an active rear spoiler that extends automatically at 80km/h - does, however, make space for a wide-opening tailgate and 240-litre boot with through-loading capability for awkward-sized parcels.

The rest of it is standard Mini, with signature hexagonal grille, large circular headlights, vertically stacked tail lights right on the rear corners of the body, and a black border around the bottom of the body to tie it down (visually, anyway) on to the surface of the road.

Under the skin, there's some stiffening under the rear of the body, combined with extra-sturdy side sills, to stiffen the body shell, together with new pedestrian protection measures and special stiffening elements in the front section.

Expect to see the Roadster in South Africa in the first quarter of 2012 with a choice of three petrol engines - the 90kW, 1.6-litre Mini Cooper, the 135kW 1.6 turbo Cooper S and the rambunctious 155kW 1.6-litre TwinPower turbo John Cooper Works - which also comes with a special body kit.

Six-speed manual shifting is standard across the range with a six-speed Steptronic auto as an extra-cost option on the Cooper and Cooper S.

Standard kit includes speed-sensitive power steering, power-adjustable mirrors, parking sensors, three cupholders, aircon and an MP3-compatible sound system with an auxiliary input, dynamic stability control, distance control and four airbags.

With the roof closed the Roadster is distinctively different from the 2+2 Mini convertible.

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Traction control and an electronic limited-slip differential are standard on the John Cooper Works and an option on the others.

Other options include xenon adaptive headlights, climate control, an 'Always Open' timer, Harman Kardon loudspeaker system, satnav and internet connectivity including in-car Google services, RSS news feeds, Mission Control, Facebook and Twitter.

The Roadster comes in the usual bewildering range of colours and trim variations, including very special Recaro sports seats, that ensures no two Minis should ever be the same.