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SCOOP: 2012 MINI Coupe JCW Remains Remarkably Faithful to Concept Model

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Given that BMW Group officials recently confirmed that MINI’s new coupe model will arrive in the market before the end of the year, it shouldn't come to much of a surprise that the company is gradually stripping away the camouflage from its test cars. Spotted here by our scoop photographers in Germany, is the most potent version of the MINI Coupe lineup, the John Cooper Works model that’s easily distinguished by the aggressive body kit with the flared wheel arches and muscular bumpers.

MINI first showed the Coupe and Roadster models through a pair of concept cars at the Frankfurt motor show in 2009. As predicted, the production version of the Coupe has stayed remarkably faithful to that show car’s design. In fact, with the exception of some very minor details such as the grille and the tail lamp crystals, nothing else has changed, including the shape of the top that’s supposed to resemble a baseball hat worn backwards.

The JCW version seen here, also keeps the concept’s sporty aero kit with the modified front and rear bumpers, beefy side skirts and extended wheel arches that house larger alloy wheels.

The same appears to be true for the interior (at least from what we can see through the window), which ditches the hatchback model’s rear seat bench for a larger boot area that in the concept, was said to be around 250 liters (8.8 cu ft) compared the 160 liters of the three-door variant.

Aside from the JCW model that will make use of MINI’s latest 1.6-liter twin-scroll turbocharged engine with 211HP, the Coupe will also be offered in Cooper S form with a 184HP version of the 1.6L unit. A base Cooper version equipped with a naturally aspirated 1.6-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with 122HP and possibly a diesel-powered model may also be in the cards.

The new MINI Coupe is expected to receive its world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show this fall.


PHOTO GALLERY

11 Comments:

Anonymous said... »March 22, 2011

Has anyone noticed they removed the roof kink from the concept? I don't think that is a JCW version,just a plain stock version.

Motoworks said... »March 22, 2011

That is some ugly piece of automobile. What;s up with the hat looking roof?

Anonymous said... »March 22, 2011

Stupid toy car get off the road!

Anonymous said... »March 23, 2011

what is the point ?!
What's next? a 4 doors mini coupe ?

ben said... »March 23, 2011

expect the price to be the biggest rip off of the whole car...

Braddo said... »March 23, 2011

think it kind of looks like a chopped up cooper... . . i gotta cooper and love it, but this looks a bit weird..???

Anonymous said... »March 23, 2011

Looks great!

Anonymous said... »March 23, 2011

What's the point of this one?!?! I'm impress that some one would buy a Mini TT vesion, jajajaja

Anonymous said... »March 23, 2011

A really stupid idea badly executed... only those crazy niche-filling Germans could dream up a silly piece of nonsense like this!

Anonymous said... »March 25, 2011

I don't see the problem and don't understand the hate. It's obviously a coupe version. How do you not see this? No way the same as the regular Mini. It only has 2 seats and is in the form of a coupe. How do you some of you not understand this simple concept? Some people out there might want a freakin' Mini Coupe with 2 seats!! What the fuck is wrong with that?!!

Anonymous said... »April 14, 2011

i think it looks cute. nice!

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