MINI Responds to Rumors of Roadster & Coupe Demise

MINI’s Roadster and Coupe twins were always going to be niche players within the line-up. However sales figures indicate that they may have turned into too small a niche to fulfill the typical seven year life-cycle. The pair are based on the R57 architecture which is going out of production next year with the new generation F57 convertible taking it’s place. Given that and the fact the sales are low it would seem 2015 would be a good year for MINI to potentially pull the plug. That opinion seemed to be confirmed by an interview MINI USA Head of Product Pat McKenna did with Autoguide at last week’s LA Autoshow:
>“The Coupe and the Roadster will actually go out of production next year,” said MINI USA product boss Patrick McKenna speaking to AutoGuide at the LA Auto Show last week. “They’ve run their life cycle,” he said.
The quote obviously caught our attention but also seemed unusually blunt (or potentially a mis-quote) from the typically tight-lipped MINI. So we wanted to go to the source for a official statement.
>“We will focus on just a few model variants over the medium and long term. Please understand that we cannot comment on what models there will be in specific. The MINI Roadster and MINI Coupé were the last two additions of the MINI family, both of these cars are – like the MINI Clubman- based on the previous MINI architecture. We have discontinued the MINI Clubman in summer this year. With the new MINI Clubman Concept we gave an outlook on the MINI Clubman’s future. The previous MINI architecture and the new MINI architecture will coexist for some more time, until we have renewed the entire MINI family. We can at this point in time not confirm that the MINI Roadster or MINI Coupé will be discontinued.”
Big thanks to MINI for responding so quickly to the request for clarification. That said there’s clearly not an admission either way in the statement above. Does that mean the rumors are true? Or does that simply mean MINI is still deciding the twins fate?
Either way we’re here to urge both you and MINI to reconsider the Coupe and Roadster. Both possess great looks (the Coupe maybe only in certain color combinations) the lowest center of gravity of any MINI and are destined to be rare sites in the roads of the future. In other words, if any MINI other than the GP is destined to be a collectable, these are the ones.
Recently we spent 14 months and 15,000 miles with a JCW Roadster and called it the best MINI we’ve ever driven. It was surprisingly well equipped to handle a Chicago winter and as amazing as you’d expect in the warm weather months. In short go get ’em while they last.
10 Comments
<p>I have a GP… when it was in the shop, I was GENUINELY excited to get the coupe… It was more ‘fun’ in the sense that I was smiling the ENTIRE time I had the coupe… People LOVED it too! Don’t let the 2 seats discourage you. I challenge you to count more than 5 times this last year you’ve NEEDED back seats… If you can, then this car isn’t for you… but if you can’t… GIDDY UP</p>
<p>Please let the Superleggera come to fruition!</p>
<p>I put a deposit on my Coupe in January of 2011 knowing that I would not get it until the end of the year. In October of 2011 it was ready and after three years I still love it for daily driving and track days. I was worried after my previous two MINI’s that it would not feel the same and it didn’t but not in a bad way.. just a different car and fit like a glove.</p>
<p>Just took delivery of my ’15 R58 JCW. I couldn’t be happier. Great looks (white silver / black roof w/stripes) and that awesome cockpit feel. I definitely would recommend this car to anyone looking for an awesome fun car to drive.</p>
<p>I’ll be tracking/autoxing my car as well, I think this car is perfect for that. It’s too bad MINI never made the GP model of this car, I would have been all over it.</p>
<p>In fact, since they obviously did the R&D on this car judging from the old spy shots they should release a GP kit for the coupe (Since they seem to just be the same parts the Hardtop GP has, perhaps with different springs and the special rear fixed spoiler). I’d pay for that!</p>
<p>After having an ’08 MCS since new for 4 years, I’ve had a ’12 JCWCoupe for the past 3 years. It’s strong points are obvious…great handling & performance, attracts many thumbs-up, & if 2 people can travel light, it’ll handle long driving trips with ease. (But my golf clubs have had to go in diagonally to fit in the hatch).</p>
<p>The downside, at least for me, has been the non-existent rear quarter visibility beginning behind the passenger seat, as well as the minimal rear window view when the wing is up. Also sometimes needing more storage capacity has been an issue. For some, those 2 reasons may not be a problem, but for me, they are!</p>
<p>Consequently, my next MINI, ordered in early Nov, is the new F55 S 4 door hatch. It may not attract as many thumb-ups like the nitch coupe, but should still have MINI performance & handling. And for me, it’lll have lots more usable space in back & even be more rear passengers friendly than the F56. Although 95% of the time, there’ll only be 1 or 2 of us, it’s good to know I can carry 2 more if needed.</p>
<p>I just got home from seeing, among others, the Vision Superleggera, and if axeing the coupe and roadster helps make way for that, all the more reason to do it.</p>
<p>The JCW Roadster is probably the best looking and most balanced variant from the entire 2nd generation lineup. And the Coupe is a blast to drive, with additional bracing and lower center of gravity.</p>
<p>As far as the “clarification” statement, it conveys the equivalent of what I had interpreted from the original Autoguide quote. MINI is just stating that just they aren’t ready to make that announcement officially yet, but we all know it is coming.</p>
<p>MINI should keep the Roadster/Coupe and drop the 4 seat convertible, we pay a premium for these models anyway and they all go down the same production line. Niche models need time to attract customers. I know, I’m one of them.
Will be sadly missed.</p>
<p>I hear what you say, but the reality is that the Convertible has consistently been the third best selling MINI, worldwide, since it was launched. The all new F57 Convertible goes on sale in the spring.</p>
<p>BTW, your Roadster looks great in PW. Enjoy it while you can!</p>
<p>Coupe/Roadster & Paceman will cease production by May 2015. They will NOT be replaced.</p>