Pre-Production MINI Coupé Spied
This just in. A pre-production prototype MINI Coupé was spied in partial camouflage. It appears that just as we’ve reported previously here on MotoringFile, the production car won’t vary much at all from the Coupé concept we’ve seen before. The backwards baseball cap roof is more or less intact, as is the squared off rear end. What we’re also seeing in these photos is our first look at the automatic pop-up rear spoiler. With this car surfacing, I imagine it won’t be long at all before we see the whole car in the flesh. More photos here.
<p>Anyone want a couple kids so I can switch to a 2 seater?</p>
<p>Is this related to the Twins, Cupester and Speedster? Or is this based on the R60 Countryman?</p>
<p>Dean. Look at those tail lamps, rear bumper, and even the Challenge spoke wheels. This car we’re seeing is straight up R5X Coupe that is coming out later this year and not a Countryman variant.</p>
<p>In the fourth photo, it looks like the spoiler is deployed. Thanks for the sneak peak!</p>
<p>interesting to see that the third break light is at the top of the trunk not the rear windshield. No pix of the front end.. I guess it just looks like the other models, then?
So, with the coupe and roadster, if they got rid of the back seats, does it mean that the boots are larger (ie. more useful)?</p>
<p>Wow I have to say I’m having a different reaction to these photos than I thought I would. The car seems to ride pretty high, and looks kinda wonky. I almost think I would rather get a JCW hardtop. Although I’m reserving my final judgment until I see the non-camo’d product.</p>
<p>If the performance/price is good also that could sway my decision.</p>
<p>Learn more this month….</p>
<p>It looks to be a JCW. It has the exhaust, brakes, wheels, even the red roof!</p>
<p>All that lost interior space… for what?</p>
<p>Getting closer, Now I am getting really excited. This car in JCW trim will be what works for me being single no kids. Thank you MINI for getting back to those of us who don’t need something larger. I like the Countryman if I needed the passenger space it would be on my list. However, I can count on one hand how many times I have had someone in the back seat of my MINI. Now they will just have to thumb a ride.</p>
<p>perhaps a cool friend for my GP</p>
<p>I’d love to see more…any pictures you can share of a full face view?</p>
<p>As BK stated it seems to be sitting a bit high.
Could it be that this car is running the Hardtop suspension? If so the ride height in the rear would indicate how much weight reduction was made to the back end. I am sure this will be corrected in final production.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if I’ll buy this vehicle, but I’d love for someone to take me for a ride in one someday. Or maybe even let me take the wheel?</p>
<p>Would have preferred the JCW body kit and suspension as shown on the Concept, but looks like those will continue to be add-ons.</p>
<p>Not liking the look of this MINI so far – kinda wonky like another poster said… but the camouflage makes it difficult to tell of course. I think I would still prefer a R56 2011 MINI Cooper S with the hatch, rear seats and slightly increased weight.</p>
<p>I’m reserving my final judgement for the full production model to be released, but I know I’ve been very excited for the R58, and this is just adding to it! I can’t wait until later this year when it’s fully revealed – hopefully I can afford it when it hits the streets!</p>
<p>Nice! Can’t wait to see production models in real life. I’d like to think I can hold out for the cabrio (and hoping i can afford it)… :)</p>
<p>I hope they call it the Coupe-r. ha. just kidding. it has jcw red mirror caps too.</p>
<p>I’ll reserve judgment for the final reveal, but so far my heartbeat didn’t increase.</p>
<p>Fantastic! Will look better with the JCW Aero Kit, cannot wait to see this in the flesh!</p>
<p>Looks like Peugeot 206 CC in a camouflage. I’d better wait to see the final version.</p>
<p>Ha, yes, Peugeot 206 CC-like but without the powered fold-away roof. Shame really.</p>
<p>Looking very promising. Got a bit distracted by the nasty chrome package around the rear fogs ;)</p>
<p>Just like a R56 to my eye looks like it needs to be lowered some but I can take care of that. Looking forward to seeing more details.</p>
<p>This looks to be the most exciting thing coming from MINI in a while. I hope that it stomps all over the GP but without being such limited numbers.</p>
<p>The big question… will us tall folks, 6’3″ here, even think about trying to get into this car without looking like a jack-a$$ or clocking our heads.</p>
<p>I am also VERY interested in the rear hatch area and what they have done with it. Counting the days until we see some pictures of it all opened up!</p>
<p>Very Nice – I Like</p>
<p>I guess I got so used to seeing the prototype with the JCW body kit that I find this to be a bit disappointing. Looks really high up off the ground from behind. I guess this will be at Geneva together with the new “mini” MIni.</p>
<p>As of right now, it doesn’t seem different enough from the regular hardtop; the ride height is a killer. I have a feeling the 200-pound weight difference is going to be what really sets it apart.</p>
<p>I really like it, the only thing is the tail lights need to be smaller. They just look un-proportional to me. I have my eye set on this but will wait and let Mini work out all the kinks in the first two model year’s</p>
<p>Lowering it will look fantastic, im a little disturbed on how high this thing sits</p>
<p>Yes, horrid ride height in the photos but let’s hope it is just a pre-production mule kicking around…</p>
<p>But I do like the chopped roof in profile in particular. As a result of that chopped roof, when moderately lowered (either via JCW suspension or aftermarket) this MINI should have a more dramatic stance than any that came before.</p>
<p>B- scroll about half way down on this MF story and you can see and image of the R58 trunk open.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.motoringfile.com/2011/01/21/qa-with-mini-usa-on-diesels-in-the-us-market/" rel="ugc">https://www.motoringfile.com/2011/01/21/qa-with-mini-usa-on-diesels-in-the-us-market/</a></p>
<p>Two hopes I have for the car. first that the jcw version will be released at the start of the production model. I also still hope to see the factory jcw to use the release of this model to update the jcw to address the large amount of concerns for what is currently included with it. That is if they are not to busy building the R60 crossover into being the prime performance model of the brand.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I am also VERY interested in the rear hatch area and what they have done with it. Counting the days until we see some pictures of it all opened up!</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Here’s an early rendering from MINI:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/motoringfile/3922940638/" title="MINI Speedster by Motoringfile, on Flickr" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3469/3922940638_881a664306_z.jpg" width="640" height="453" alt="MINI Speedster" /></a></p>
<p>If they lower it, it will only be 1-2 cm… Remember, it’s an R56 with a top-half makeover.</p>
<p>Matt</p>
<p>Thanks jon & Gabe,</p>
<p>I have seen the rendering and it made me want to see images of it or in person. The rendering is nice and all but with the retractable wing I am wondering how much space that will take up. Not that I am looking to haul anything, just excited to see what they have come up with. I like the detail of the pass through on the speedster, that kind of thing.</p>
<p>I am more than happy to handle the lowering on ours when it comes in, MINI is always more conservative than I am with this.</p>
<p>Gabe what I still would like to know is with the rumors of the R60 (GP2) and MINI trying to focus the twins as being sports oriented how this will work out. To me this would be similar feel if the built a M3 and then made their most powerful and competent car a X6 M if that would make any sense. I am a little lost on how to perceive the Twins personally. I like what I see but drives me nuts to think of the halo performance car of the brand being s crossover.</p>
<p>I love the direction this car is heading in (performance vs practicality). This pic isn’t overly appealing but that junk BMW puts on their prototypes accomplishes what they want-secrecy.</p>
<p>I like the pop-up spoiler on cars much more than fixed ones, however, I’m curious as to the weight of the mechanism. It’s one of the things Porsche got rid of to accomplish the 120lb weight savings in the new Cayman R.</p>
<p>Wonder if the JCW will be 211hp or if they’ll tune it a bit like the GP. If they hit the 220 mark coupled with the weight savings those things will fly out the door.</p>
<p>With a good bit of weight loss and a JCW suspension, this will be a spritely set of wheels. I’ll have to see the final production version, but the roadster might be the cleaner version. The baseball hat works well on the R60, but I’m still not 100% sold with it on the smaller coupe.</p>
<p>Great news though!</p>
<p>Just noticed… What’s up with the antenna located on the rear fender. Or are my eyes playing with me?</p>
<p>A little birdie told me the Coupe starts production this August with the roadster starting production around March 2012.</p>
<p>…the very clever camo always works, at least to me. I like the way the rear trunk line is even though I would like to see a more agressive spoiler…</p>
<p>It looks close to the concepts.</p>
<p>So the pop up wing will be close to porsche design pop ups.</p>
<p>Of course different bumpers and ride hieght a little higher, but the Paceman was high even for future All 4.</p>
<p>I bet the coupe and the speedster will come in All 4 two years after the launch.</p>
<p>Then E division will move in and set this up for electric. Considering this would make a great E car.</p>
<p>I seriously doubt we will ever see the Twins or Coupe let alone the standard hatch ever get the All 4 system as its developed for the R60 chassis. On top of that in its current design I would not want it anywhere near a performance car. It was designed to deal with a little bit of weather, not improving the base sport performance of the car.</p>
<p>Robbie I am glad to hear that little bird chirping lol</p>
<p>…so whats a production start date for the speedster? I would love to see a photo of a pre-production model…</p>
<p>[blockqoute]…so whats a production start date for the speedster? I would love to see a photo of a pre-production model…[/blockquote]</p>
<p>how did you manage to post a comment without seeing anything else on this page? lol</p>
<p>“so whats a production start date for the speedster? I would love to see a photo of a pre-production model…”</p>
<p>You are in luck the MINI Roadster has also been spied.
Both Coupe and Roadster are beginning public testing , having been developed and driven behind closed doors the past few months.</p>
<p>The Coupe you will learn about soon , with the Roadster during the Summer.</p>
<p>It’s always interesting to me how the MINI concepts always ride lower than the production models.</p>
<p>Still Herr26, Gabe I am still dying trying to get a grasp on the Twins being geared towards performance and the rumors of the R60 ending up the top performance model (ie GP2). Tough to figure out how this will work, to me this feels like a split in BMWMINI on were to concentrate on its performance enthusiast.</p>
<p>So I like the look and, as others have said, it does sit high. It is a pre-prodiction car so that doesn’t mean anything at this point.</p>
<p>Based on Gabe’s pictures above showing the rear hatch open, why didn’t they just have the trunk open like on the speedster? Seems like it would have been less for production design (i.e. don’t have to design a hatch for the coupe and a trunk for the speedster) and saved a bit of money too. Also, it’s not like that is giving you any extra storage space. A trunk with drop down seats would have been a little better for storage.</p>
<p>Lastly, my concern with the wing is it looks like blocks a fair portion of visibility out of the rear window. I like the pop-up feature but not too good if it limits what you can see.</p>
<p>Be interesting to see when it is official.</p>
<p>Three spotted filling up…………..</p>
<p>“Its always fun round Oxford when a new model is coming out, spying the test mules.”
<a href="http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/3213484-post17.html" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/3213484-post17.html</a></p>
<p>Re the Coupe version of the 2 seater, I’ve read somewhere that it’ll be just under 2 inches ‘lower’ than the current hatchback. Also the coupe will be produced in the JCW setup while the Roadster will be an S version. Any word on a close estimate re weight reduction??</p>