The MINI Convertible Sidewalk edition model was announced a while back and it is now on sale. To mark the occasion and also the arrival of spring, the people from Oxford put together a photo shoot with the beautiful colors of cherry blossom. These spring messengers are now coloring cities around the world and it’s a shame a lot of us can’t go out and enjoy the scenery. Thankfully, this photo gallery should alleviate some of that pain.
To be fair, this is the perfect time to enjoy a convertible. While many may think summer is the perfect season for open top cruising, the high temperatures might change your mind. As a matter of fact, you can only use a convertible with the roof down during mornings and evenings in summertime. But it’s the spring that brings a more palatable kind of temperature all day long, allowing more open top cruising to be done.
The photos in the gallery below have been taken in Bonn, on Breite Strasse, a street known for its unmatched beauty once cherry trees blossom. The MINI Convertible Sidewalk provides an impressive contrast in blue to the vibrant display of color in Bonn’s old town. The Deep Laguna metallic paint developed specially for the livery of this edition model is combined with matching bonnet stripes and 17-inch light-alloy Scissor Spoke 2-tone wheels, which are also a model-specific design feature.
And while the Breite Strasse in Bonn does look cool, the biggest festivals and gatherings around cherry blossoms are hosted by Japan, where it has turned into a phenomenon. Cherry blossom has been venerated there for centuries. It represents beauty and transience – since this wondrous show of natural beauty only lasts for a few fleeting weeks between the end of March and the beginning of May.
Originally, the Cherry Blossom Festival was reserved for the imperial court but since the 17th century, Hanami – translated as “flower viewing” – has been celebrated by everyone in Japan.
