2012 Mini Coupe preview drive

Two-seat Mini focuses on sportiness and performance

Vienna, Austria - BMW is obsessed with the heritage of Mini. As the custodians of the quintessential British brand, its determination to be authentic and true in developing modern Minis has been absolute. But it's also breaking new ground as the desire to broaden Mini's range gathers pace.

After all, BMW argues, it has great responsibility here. The original Mini was launched to great fanfare in 1959, and blossomed during the '60s and '70s, but then things tailed off. The car was still idolised, but the development budget to make a much-needed new one from the strife-prone British car maker's parent was never there. Though it had been pulled from sale decades earlier in North America, it was possible to effectively buy a 1950s Mini, during the late '90s in Europe.

Since launching the first "new" Mini in 2001, BMW has filled out the range with other models that have links to the past, including John Cooper Works-branded sports models, the Convertible, the Clubman wagon, and the new family friendly Countryman. But with its upcoming Coupe, BMW is going out on a limb.

Gallery: 2012 Mini Coupe preview drive
More images of the Coupe from Bing

You see, there was never an original Mini Coupe. So why is there a new Mini Coupe? To celebrate the car's sporting past, says BMW. It's almost as if their folks are indicating that there should have been something official all along.

We are with them. And while it's true that Mini never officially offered a two-door coupe, BMW points at aftermarket kits from Marcos and Broadspeed that turned standard Minis into rakish pint-sized sportsters. People have itched for a Mini Coupe for years, and at last there's something official to put them at ease. But has it been worth the wait?

A tale of two halves

With the cars yet to be completely revealed, the ones we sampled were still dressed in camouflage. Not surprisingly, this highlighted how similar the Coupe is to the standard hatchback. Indeed, below the shoulder line, it's identical to the hatch. Those seeking a completely bespoke, ground-up design will be disappointed.

It does, however, have a completely unique rear, which leads into a class-apart roofline. Mini went all-out here to make it different, with a distinctive 'helmet hat', before trailing down into a tiny decklid, ensuring zero visual weight over the rear wheels. Well, until the electronic rear spoiler pops up, that is. Like a Porsche Cayman it rises up at speeds above 80 km/h for added downforce.

The sloped rear and lack of back seats means that Coupe is a true two-seater, the first mainstream one in the brand's history. Behind the front seats is a small luggage shelf, and, a surprisingly capacious trunk. At 280 litres, it boasts the most voluminous cargo bay in the Mini range, Countryman crossover aside. Bet you weren't expecting that!

Nor, if you've been seduced by the pleasingly divisive exterior style, would you expect an interior identical to the hatch, but that's what you get. The well-built dashboard is the same, seats are set no lower, and all the fittings are unchanged. What Mini has done is introduce new colour schemes and trim options (including retro tan leather), to give it a sense of occasion. Though it may not look different, it feels different; the windscreen is more raked, for a racier view out, while the plunging rear glass means it is as dark, moody and vision-restricted as all good coupes.

The same, but different

So how does it drive? The hatch is already an enthusiastic, crisp, precise steer. The Coupe takes this a step further, with bespoke tuning to give it yet more of an edge. The differences are, intentionally, not huge (which means the firm yet acceptable ride doesn't degenerate), but they do give it a bit more bite that will please keen drivers.

Most impressive is the way Mini has let the rear end play more of a starring role. It's not suddenly an oversteer machine, but there is now much more help from the back end when turning into corners. This means it is more agile, but still well planted in extremes.

A three-stage stability control system helps here - our favourite is the middle setting, which eases the ESC's parameters, but doesn't turn them off entirely. It even allows the steering wheel to squirm a fraction in your hands, without descending into torque steer; Mini's clever electronic differential means the power is put down tidily out of corners as well.

Our tester, a Cooper Works model, gets the rorty 211-hp 1.6-litre turbo four from the JCW hatch. It's identical, but is 0.1 seconds faster to 100 km/h, as there's more weight over the front wheels for enhanced grip. It's a marvellous engine that pulls from minuscule revs and happily blares to redline. We also liked the sportier exhaust, which pops and bags on overrun with grin-inducing frequency.