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He made headlines as a singer and songwriter for the folk rock band, Moxy Früvous, in the 1990s. He's still on the airwaves, but in a different capacity. Broadcaster Jian Ghomeshi hosts Q, a daily arts and entertainment show on CBC Radio One.

When he's off air, the 40-year-old travels down memory lane with his brand-new 2008 Mini Cooper S convertible.

"As a kid in the '70s growing up in England, I remember those little Minis. I always had an affinity for them. In fact, I had a little toy Mini, a play car you push with your hand.

"I've always had this natural predilection for the Mini. I always thought it was cute, compact and represented a part of my own history as well as being this iconic little car that's associated with the U.K."

"I live in the city [Toronto]. For me, having something that's compact and not polluting the environment, that's easy to park and handle in Toronto makes a lot of sense.

"I've consistently had smaller cars for that reason," says Ghomeshi, who has hosted other TV and radio shows including The National Playlist, Sounds Like Canada, Zed and The End. He also hosted the Gemini-award winning TV program, Play.

"The Cooper S is a very powerful little machine. The big engine is actually a growling, race-car kind of engine. It's very much a sports car. It handles really well. I'm a very aggressive driver so having a car that can handle the way I drive is important to me and gratifying."

Just as gratifying is going topless. "I really like having the top down and driving around with my flowing locks high in the air, batting around in somebody's face behind me. That's really important to me," he laughs.

Blaring the tunes is also crucial. "Part of the driving experience for me, besides the functionality of getting from one place to another, is being able to listen to music.

"I have a really good stereo. There's a phenomenal Harman/Kardon stereo with a number of speakers and an iPod dock. This little car with this big sound is very much what I'm interested in."

Ghomeshi has 16,000 songs on his iPod. "I was just listening to, Don't do me like that. Don't do me like that …," he breaks out singing. "Running around listening to Tom Petty — there's the dream!"

Convertibles often get a bad rap as chick cars, but Ghomeshi doesn't seem to mind the stereotype.

"Hey man, you know. There are so many things in my life that could be chick. I've been a Volkswagen guy for the last few years. And some people consider Volkswagen a chick car. I didn't know that until other people told me.

"Ascribing gender identities to cars is funny. I absolutely don't think a convertible Mini has to be a chick car, but if it is, so be it," he says.

Ghomeshi nicknames all his cars; his Mini Cooper S convertible is dubbed "Little Whitey" even though it's cream coloured.

"When I decided I wanted a Mini, I had decided on a red convertible with a black top. I put the poor Mini dealership through quite a rigmarole to get me this red Mini.

"I go into the dealership to pick it up and there's this little unique car sitting next to the red one. It's a cream-coloured Mini Cooper S convertible with black stripes. I thought, that's my guy!

"I sat in it and it felt completely like my car — as ridiculous and cheesy as it sounds. I very much go with my gut on cars. It's sort of a cliché, but I feel like I have to fall in love with the car. And sometimes it's love at first sight like with Little Whitey."

Little Whitey's funky, youthful interior also complements his style. "If you look inside, it has a bold dashboard; it's chrome, black and silver.

"Interestingly, the interior of the car is very much the way I dress. I dress a lot in black. If I ever wear any jewellery — any rings or belt buckles — they're silver. Friends of mine who see the interior of this car say, 'Oh, that's Jian.' Aesthetically it looks like the way I dress and what I am," says Ghomeshi, who will be hosting Canada Reads, a week-long special on literature on CBC Radio One in late February.

On the downside is the lack of cargo space.

"I'm a drummer. I used to play music. It was always important to me to have a car I could travel with my drum kit in.

"The fact that my career has segued into broadcasting means I'm travelling less and there's less need for me to transport my drums around. And that's probably a good thing because I wouldn't be able to take them in my Mini."

Ghomeshi has also owned a Mustang, a Jeep, a VW Beetle convertible and a VW GTI. Before he bought, he borrowed.

"Driving at the age of 19, I was going to York [University] and I was hoping to instruct a musical theatre course at Unionville High School. My dad leant me his car — a massive Buick Electra giant boat.

"I was rushing from a class at York to get to Unionville High School and I made the turn to get into the driveway of the school and totally smashed the car. Other cars were smashed, too.

"It was around noon. And all these students gathered in a big circle around me and the car. It was totally humiliating," says Ghomeshi, who graduated from York University with a degree in political science and history.

Ghomeshi changes cars frequently. "I get restless with my cars. Within three-four years, I like the idea of changing it up, which is why I lease. It's hard for me to imagine wanting to hold something for many years when it comes to a car.

"Maybe this will be the exception. But it's hard to imagine giving up on Little Whitey right now."

Of course, that would change if he got his hands on his dream car — an old MG or an old Jaguar.

"What can I say? I'm a British-born boy — that's what happens."