A Mini model that is set to appeal to male buyers more than any other. At least that's what Mini is saying about its new Mini coupe, the fifth model to join its lineup since Mini's revival in 2001.
The distinctively styled two-door is set to go on sale in North America in October.
First previewed at the 2009 Frankfurt motor show, the Mini coupe has progressed from concept to production car with remarkably few changes. The basis for the new car, including its complete lower body, is the existing convertible, to which the Mini design team added a new upper section and a large liftback-style tailgate at the rear--both which add unique visual appeal.
Among the more obvious design flourishes is a new windshield that is raked back an additional 13 degrees than that on the hardtop and which is a good deal shorter. The side glass is also shallower, giving the Mini coupe a chopped-top appeal.
The roof, made from aluminum, has been styled along the lines of the Mini Countryman, with a rear section that curves down for added volume. It also incorporates a fixed spoiler element above a heavily angled rear window that forms part of the tailgate. An additional active spoiler, the first ever on a Mini model, is set within the trunk lid and deploys at 50 mph to provide added downforce and improved stability at high speeds.
At 147.8 inches long and 54.3 inches tall, the Mini coupe is 0.5 inch longer and 1.2 inches shorter than the hardtop.
Inspired by Mini-based coupes from independent companies such as Broadspeed, Marcos and Midas, the new coupe is not exactly elegant--not in the traditional sense, anyway. However, it manages to stand out from the small-car crowd, and for many prospective buyers this will clearly count more than anything else.
Mini is set to offer the coupe with its existing N18 turbocharged 1.6-liter, four-cylinder gasoline engine in North America. European buyers also get the N47 2.0-liter, four-cylinder common-rail diesel but, as in other Mini models sold here, it is not planned for the United States.
The gasoline unit delivers 122 hp in the Mini Cooper coupe, 184 hp in the Cooper S coupe and 211 hp in the range-topping John Cooper Works coupe model. Gearbox choices include a standard six-speed manual along with an optional six-speed automatic on all models except for the top-of-the-line JCW coupe.
What is it like to drive?
Mini's aim with the coupe was to create a car that went one better than the hardtop in terms of overall driver appeal. However, the need to use as many carryover components as possible in a bid to make the new car profitable means the mechanical package is virtually the same--and in many respects, so is the way it drives.
The low roof makes entry a little more difficult than in the hardtop, but the seats are set low enough to ensure that even tall drivers can be accommodated without any headroom issues, thanks in part to a scalloped-out headliner.
Although the driving position is unchanged from that of the hardtop, the more heavily raked windshield and lower roof gives the coupe a more sporting air from the driver's seat. The drawback? Visibility, particularly to the rear, which is restricted by the narrow glass.
Performance-wise, there's little to criticize. The turbocharged 1.6-liter engine in the Cooper S version driven here develops 177 lb-ft of torque between 1,600 rpm and 5,000 rpm--including a peak of 192 lb-ft between 1,700 rpm and 4,500 rpm, giving the coupe a good turn of speed out of the blocks and tremendous flexibility on the run.
Mini claims the coupe will run from 0 to 62 mph in 6.9 seconds and has a top speed of 143 mph. As with the hardtop, though, it is the in-gear acceleration that impresses the most. Plant your foot at low revs in low gears, and you're treated to solid acceleration that is all part and parcel of the coupe's eager nature.
The Mini coupe rides on an upgraded version of the hardtop's MacPherson-strut and multilink suspension, featuring slightly firmer shocks and a larger-diameter rear antiroll bar. The lower roof and a pared-out interior also give it a lower center of gravity than other Mini models. Although the roof has no load-bearing function, a substantial transverse beam mounted above the rear axle helps provide a level of stiffness approaching that of other Mini models.
First impressions, after an extended run around an Austrian driver-training facility in a preproduction prototype, suggest Mini has succeeded, although the difference in character between the coupe and the convertible from behind the wheel is not great. There are subtle improvements in dynamic terms, less initial roll on turn in and a more securely planted rear end when you lift off mid-corner among them. Just don't expect it to provide a vastly different driving experience from its much-loved sibling.
The interior of the Mini coupe mirrors that of the convertible up front, right on down to the height of its seats. The rear, however, has been completely revised with the rear seats making way for a parcel shelf and a handy load-through feature that can be accessed from the driver's seat. The trunk is 4.2 square feet larger than that of the hardtop at 9.9 square feet, thanks to the lack of rear seats. But a crossmember running through the floor means the load bay is not flat.
Do I want it?
If you can live with the striking looks and driving appeal is a priority, it's certainly worth considering. North American pricing is yet to be announced. But the Mini coupe clearly retains all the fundamentals that have made the hardtop such an outstanding success over the past decade or so. It's tremendously entertaining, and with all of that space out back, it is highly practical by two-seater standards. Be warned, though--a roadster version is also planned to join the Mini lineup in early 2012 following a public premiere at the Detroit auto show. We suspect it may be even more fun.
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