2nd Gen Coupe Autoweek Drives a preproduction Coupé in Austria

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.

Source - Autoweek