MINI has broken out details of the all-new MIINI Coupé. It’s so called because it only has two seats! Yes, there are no rear seats at all in this MINI, which means only you and one other passenger are allowed to ride. And with three strong engines for the South African market, it will sure bring out plenty of reaction in the market.
While the MINI Coupe is quite small, measuring just 3.7 metres in length, 1.68m in width and 1.38m in height, it is actually longer than the normal MINI Cooper hatch. The wheelbase is the same as the Cooper at 2.47m, therefore there shouldn’t be any cramping worth speaking about in terms of the seating.
The three engine models concerned are all based on the 1.6-litre 4-cylinder motor. In the Cooper Coupé power output is rated at 90kW and torque is 160Nm. The car’s top speed is 204km/h and average fuel consumption is said to be 5.4 litres per 100km. A turbocharged version of the same 1.6-litre is found in the Cooper S Coupé, whereby it releases a healthy 135kW and 240Nm through the front wheels into the atmosphere. MINI says this one will accelerate from 0 – 100km/h in 6.9 seconds and stop accelerating at 230km/h, at the same time averaging 5.8 litres per 100km in fuel consumption.
Top of the heap is the John Cooper Works Coupé or JCW in street speak. The little shooter apparently does 0 – 100km/h in 6.4 seconds, tops off at 240km/h and averages 7.1 litres per 100km of fuel usage, thanks to 155kW of power and 260Nm of torque (with 20 extra Newtons of overboost in overtaking situations).
All the cars are fitted with a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard, with a 6-speed automatic given as an optional extra. Fuel-savers include Brake Energy Regeneration, an Auto Start/ Stop function, and Shift Point display.
Because there are no seats at the back, extra storage space has been created as a by-product. There is also apparently good loading space in the boot, although it would still be limited by the type of car the MINI Coupé is. The rear spoiler will surely get people talking, but for the techies it pops up automatically when the car reaches 80km/h in order to improve air flow.
The MINI Coupé is definitely headed for South Africa before the end of the year, and will join its siblings in the range, including the hatch, Clubman, Countryman and Convertible. We’ll also get to see it live at the 2011 Johannesburg International Motor Show (JIMS) this October.
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