One of the (few) items on my Roadster that I have continued to dislike is the very small rear windscreen that is available. My wife and I have both noticed that the top-down wind buffeting and wind noise from the rear is significantly greater in the Roadster than we experienced in 3+ years in our 2010 MINI S convertible. We also felt that there is really not much difference in the wind buffeting or noise whether the windscreen is installed or not.


While I enjoy the top-down motoring experience, the stock Roadster windscreen seems to have been designed for style rather than function. Since it installs between the center space between the rear roll bars, it is really too small to effectively block the majority of the turbulence. My estimate is that it covers less than 50% of the cross-sectional area behind the seats, and is only about 1/2 the size of the MINI windscreen available for the Cabrio.


Does anyone else share the impression that the Roadster would benefit from a larger windscreen option that would at least block a larger area behind the rollbars? Has anyone given any thought (or effort) to fabricating an alternative (larger) option with more surface area?

 

Being our first MINI and our first convertible I can't really compare it to anything else. However, from having done multiple test even through the winter (when you can feel the cold and know more where it comes from) it seems to me that the wind screen is still quite beneficial in reducing some of the wind. I don't think it has been design more for look.

That all said I generally agree with you that the roadster has quite a bit of wind turbulence coming from the rear and that the OE wind screen is only a partial solution. It seems a lot of wind can gush through the roll bar and around the headrest. I've also noticed some is coming from the space between the window and the head rest. So all in all the roadster could definitely benefit from a full wind screen rather than partial, between the roll bar.

Now I know someone here (iirc) made an home made plexiglass version of that windshield to fit between the roll bars. I don't know if it was a big improvement or not but I know someone did an attempt. I don't know where that thread is...


I should also add that on a short trip during a warm and sunny day I don't mind the wind much at all and if it wasn't for my wife I would probably not have the screen at all, enjoying the warn air and roadster experience. But it's during longer highway trips that it can get a little more bothersome for a long period of time driving. It has a small tendency to give me minor headaches.


edit: oh and btw, would it be possible to modify the MINI convertible windscreen to fit the roadster? just a thought

 

And . . . do you guys know why they use a fabric mesh rather than a window? is it because it looks better? is it because they don't want to eliminate the convertible feel (feel of openness, air moving through the windscreen some, exhaust noise, etc...)? just curious...

 

If you hair isn't completely messed up after motoring in your Roadster, you just ain't livin', TG.

 

Ha ha! of-course! . . . I was just curious about why car manufacturer choose mesh materials for windscreen . . . which doesn't have much to do with hair do at that point

 

I assumed the fabric mesh was used for the windscreen because it saves weight (and could be folded and put in a storage bag in the boot for the convertible). The mesh screening would reduce some of the center buffeting while allowing sound, air, etc. to circulate. It's just too small to be very effective for the driver and passenger since it doesn't extend behind the roll bar/headrest.


When I get some free time in the coming weeks, I'll fabricate a larger windscreen to test. If a cardboard or plexiglass template reduces the buffeting and wind noise, I may try and make one out of fiberglass screening in some type of aluminum frame.

 

Unless the hair is trapped in the windscreen.

 

What hairs? . . .


Kenny, I'll be watching what you're doing
It sounds like you'd prefer make it a wind block rather than a wind screen?
I'm on the fence a little. I don't mind some air going through, I don't mind some noise (especially from the exhaust ) and I'd be more looking to avoid big gushes of air as I said that can give me headaches on highway driving for long periods of time. Admittedly I tend to have a heavy foot so 75/85 mph it gets a little windy

 

If any of you guys are looking to sell your old windscreen please let me know. I am in the market for one.
Thanks,
Brian
prowlerman99@msn.com

 

Yes, unlike my previous Convertible, where I considered the draught-blocker an essential as it made such a difference, the little draught-blocker on the Roadster doesn't have a huge effect.

But I think that is down to the Roadster design, rather than the draught-blocker's size. The screen is lower overall, more raked and the side windows are much shorter, so I don't think it's the small draught-blocker that is causing the problem.

You could experiment by buying some plexiglass and fixing it to the roll hoops with zip-ties to see if a bigger draught-blocker would actually be much of a benefit. It would be fairly easy to fill in the roll hoops themselves permanently and it wouldn't be hard to test that temporarily by using cling film (US: Saran wrap?).

I'm not sure the draught-blocker could be increased in size much unless you make it removable, as the hood release handle has to pass over the draught-blocker.

To some extent, you only have yourself to blame - you wanted the two-seater look and this is the price to be paid for it.

Or you can do what I'm doing and persuading myself that I will be quite happy to go back to a Convertible when the F57 is released in the next year.

 

Thanks for the reply.
I am actually in the process of preparing supplies to make my own with smoked plexi glass. Purchasing some pvc blocks to make replacement holders to mount on the sides of the roll bars that will have a slot to slide the plexi glass into place. I'll see how that comes out.
Thanks again for the info.


Brian

 

@ Angib:

F57? I didn't know they were working on it! That good to know MINI isn't abandoning convertibles all together.

NAH... we don't need no 4 seaters . . .
Wind? It's part of the fun. All it needs is to be controlled just a little more for long stretch of highway. It doesn't need to be perfect or one might as well go back to sun roof . . . my 2ç . . .

Btw, you make very good point about clearances. I'll have to check it out when I go home just to see how much extra room there is as the soft top folds over headrest and roll bar. It might be close for all I know...
I agree with your assessment. Windows are pretty low. In addition, they don't don't go far enough behind but that's inherent to the doors so no real way to change or improve that.
I think a better wind deflector is workable and there's a lot of possibilities. It just need someone with the time to try and test a few things. Definitly worse it and it sounds like Brian is on the move

 

I find the blocker to be essential in the winter round here. I did an experiment at about 20 degrees without it, and lasted about two miles at non-highway speeds. With it in I'm good for my 30-40 minute trip to work.

 

+1



. . . though admittedly one does not need 20° to test that one out!


.

 

Strange... I find the wind noise significantly better in my R59 than it was in my 2010 'vert, even with the screen in the 2010. I wonder if some of the difference has to do with how far forward/back you have your seats? I've fairly short legs, so I tend to have the seat forward, and I find the roadster to have MUCH less noise (but just as much fun!).

 

Yes, absolutely. I have the seat well back and sit fairly high on my ample backside - if I scrunch down in the seat, most of the wind noise disappears. My conclusion is that a lot of the wind noise (not turbulence) comes from having my ears too near the back edge of the side windows.

When I had an R57, I experimented with high speed cruising with the front side windows up and the rear ones down - and wrongly convinced myself that losing the rear side windows wouldn't be a problem.

Speed may be a factor too - I cruise over 80mph top down and I could do that all day in the R57 but it would be tiring (and possibly literally deafening) in the R59.

 

That's quite interest Angib, It makes me want to do some tests at high speed!
My mind is already racing with some ideas on ways to improve the rear window effect you are taking about. There could be some simple solution temporarely mounted to the window for long distance cruising

 

Here is an awful sketch of my RWX - Roadster Window Xtender. The patent isn't pending, but it probably should be.

It clips onto the existing Roadster side windows and:
- is a couple of inches taller:
- carries on a few inches rearwards;
- has a little half-funnel on the front that catches rain water coming up the screen pillar and sends it down a tube so it can exit harmlessly at the back.


The half-funnel and tube are the design master stroke as this would enable the Roadster to be driven comfortably in really heavy rain without that annoying occasional spit in the driver's eye from the top of the screen pillar.

 

Looks like fun, but what happens if you want to roll your window down to pay a toll or get drive-through coffee?

 

Yep, exactly

This is great though. As a product designer I don't see too often someone putting this kind of thought

Personally I would definitely be looking for solutions than can be put on and removed very quickly. I would also look for solutions that have some form of safety mechanism, the last thing you want is the piece to either fly off on someone else or in your face

But I really like these initial thoughts.

edit:
Given time, any problem has an infinite amount of solutions so I would try to progress on a few ideas rather than narrow down the options too quickly. One approach could be to make a frame rather than an attachment to the window. This would require to be mindful of the weather a little more. Another approach could be to attach it to something that is affix to the upper part of the window so the piece can be removed very quickly while the anchor points stay at the higher part of the window while it is pulled down. Other approaches could look at using more flexible materials so it naturally flexes. Etc... There are many ways to look at this. In the end I'd be looking for something as simple as possible even if it is not perfect with rain water drainage.

.

 

One thing I was disappointed with was the sun visors. On many roadsters/convertibles they can flip up to extend over the top of the windshield. Our's can't do that. I have often wondered if that would help the wind noise too...

 

I forgot to talk about that as well... I had the same thought when I first took a looked at the the MINI sun visors... I'm sure it has to do with not making different parts than what exist on other MINI models...

 

That's absolutely no problem. I haven't thought out how the RWXs can be held on, so as long as you've gone over 20mph or driven over a bump in the road before you get to the toll booth/drive-thru, both WRXs will have already fallen off before you get there.

Now that's what I call product design......

 

And a guarantee of repeat business to replace them - you've thought of everything!

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Best-M2-Mini...2d8a94&vxp=mtr

How about something like this?