Apr 2001
In this issue:
Perfectly formed
The stunning new MINI Coupe Concept makes its debut at Frankfurt Motor Show… and everyone goes “Ahhhhh”
Issue: Oct, 2009
Okay, so we featured the surfing Mini a few issues ago. But that is no barrier to taking a long, slow look at the latest action-figure-esque manifestation of the original hot hatch – a hatch that is now even hotter. The Coupe Concept was revealed last month at the Frankfurt Motor Show – which seemed to be the first motorshow in about three years that actually generated any excitement amid the bankruptcy-credit-crisis-clunker hell – and the swarms of admiring onlookers purred in slightly beatific unison at the clipped and trimmed Mini concept.
Although the company proudly displayed the John Cooper Works Mini late last year, this is a genuine sportscar that places the emphasis on performance. The engine is the same turbocharged 1.6-litre unit, but after some tuning it now produces 211bhp, with an overboost option to pack out the torque.
But as with all Minis, the real pleasure is in the visuals. Looking rather like a squashed Audi TT, or a particularly novel football boot, the Coupe is a two-seater with shrunken roofline and advanced rear windscreen – all of which helps to shift the car’s weight equally over both axles. Just don’t mention the word “cute” when you’re describing it. The makers get very upset when you do that.
