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Though there seems to be an exodus out of this year’s NAIAS, some manufacturers ARE still planning on debuting their latest and greatest creations at the Detroit show. Mini is one of those manufacturers, and will be unveiling the next-generation of Cooper Cabrio. This new model is more powerful, more efficient, and safer than the outgoing model.

Power for the base Mini Cooper Cabrio comes from a 1.6L engine producing 118hp, while the hotter Cooper S Cabrio gets a turbocharged 1.6L engine which produces 172hp. Mini says that these engines are up to 19% cleaner and more efficient than the engines in the previous model. While the EPA numbers for the new Cabrio have not been published, we can expect them to be close to the hatchback version’s numbers.

The Mini Cooper Cabrio retains the same sliding soft-top roof style as the previous generation, which Mini says can be retracted fully in just 15 seconds. To add to the safety of the Cooper Cabrio, Mini has added a single-piece rollbar behind the rear seats which can deploy automatically in just 150 milliseconds.

Pricing for the new Mini Cooper Cabrio starts at $24,550 for the base model, and $27,450 for the Cooper S Cabrio with deliveries starting on March 28, 2009.

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