Driven: 2012 Mini Coupe:
With the Countryman, Mini wanted to see how far it could stretch the “mini” concept. Literally. Taller, longer, wider, the interior maximized for space. Sort of a Mini-minivan fitted with all-wheel drive.
The other side of Mini’s psyche did the Coupe. Low down, with no seeming pretense for utility, though it offers plenty of person and cargo space for the pair who will use it.
Is the Mini Coupe beautiful? Heavens no.
Is the Mini Coupe cool? You bet.
On the tape measure, the Coupe is virtually identical to the normal Mini. The one difference is, of course, height and yet the Coupe is only 0.8 in. shorter. It’s that top that makes the visual difference. To some, the Coupe looks like toe jam from the Jolly Green Giant. Some would differ, finding it a slick design, the roof shaped likeone of those Kangol berets worn backwards by guys like Samuel L. Jackson.
By the way, car color is critical. Our test car came in what we’d call Unfortunate British Racing Green with a black top. Loses the effect. We’d go with a Chili Red or Pepper White lower body with the other color for the roof. The Blue is slick too and we’d add the stripes.
Ah, but isn’t the top too low for those inside the Coupe? That’s called the “bunker effect,” as seen on such classics as the Porsche Speedster, top up. There’s no doubt you know the roof is low when driving the coupe, but it’s not a problem. Visibility to the front and sides is quite good. To the rear quarters things get pretty iffy, though the mirrors are quite large. You’d think the view out the back would be dreadful and it is small, but you can see everything you need to see, like is that the highway patrol two lanes back? In fact, the rear visibility is better than in a Toyota Prius or Honda CR-Z, where there is lots of glass to the rear, but structural bars get in the way.
Can a tall person enjoy the Mini Coupe? My oversize interior template dummy (actually my 6-foot, 4-inch son-in-law Bob) found he had plenty of room inside, though he might have trouble seeing high-mounted street lights. Mini needs to resurrect the GM Guide prism traffic light viewers from the early 1950s. Check eBay.
The tall-person’s true hassle is entry and exit. Minishould add a grip handle at the inside top of the A pillar to help solve that problem for more than just tall drivers. Mini, like its big brother BMW, also needs to learn the basic fundamentals of the turn signal.
Driving the Coupe is, in technical terms, a hoot. We had the John Cooper Works version with its 208 bhp and 192 lb-ft of torque with 207 on Overboost. With the Getrag 6-speed that gives you 0-60 in the mid-6s. How could it not be fun?
Or somewhat expensive.
JCW Coupe versions start at $31,900, Coopers at $25,300 and normal Minis at $22,000.
Still, a lot of cool for the buck.
Related posts:
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- Driven: 2012 Ford Focus 5-door Hatchback Titanium
- Driven: 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
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