MINI Coupe Concept to debut at Frankfurt 2009
I was undecided at first what to think of this. My first instict was to exclaim “what’s wrong with them?” but then I had another look and thought, hey, this isn’t really that bad. What came to mind is a German take on the Suzuki Cappucino or Daihatsu Copen with a British badge. Maybe MINI got pissed off that Daihatsu ripped off the MINI with the Mira Gino, so it did the same with the Copen 
For some reason it also looks like its top is supposed to come off like a targa top or something but it’s actually a normal coupe with a fixed roof.
Don’t be fooled by the name MINI Coupe Concept – this baby is definitely going into production, looking at how ‘ready’ it is, as with every other concept car BMW has unveiled in the past year. You’ll struggle to point out any major difference between the production 5-Series GT and its concept.
The MINI Coupe Concept is a two-seater – with that sloping rear roof, both legroom and headroom for the area behind the front seats are compromised so MINI cannot pretend its a 2+2 anymore, like with the MINI Cooper. Other than rear wheel drive, like any other car that BMW makes, they claim the Coupe Concept has perfect axle load distribution and a low gentre of gravity, but BMW boldly claims the Coupe Concept will take the agility typical of a MINI to a level never seen before.
The concept measures 3,715mm long, 1,683mm wide, and 1,356mm tall. The rear tailgate opens upwards to unveil a 250 liter boot space. Under the hood is a 1.6 liter turbocharged Prince engine carried over straight from the MINI John Cooper Works, and this means 211hpand 260Nm of torque, with a 280Nm overboost.
I think the MINI’s design team has got one of the toughest jobs in the BMW Group now. BMW’s designers have always followed this simple rule: revolution, then evolution, and repeat. The original New MINI was clearly a revolution of the old school MINI and then the second generation R56 MINI Cooper was an evolution of the first new MINI. Soon it will be time for another revolution, and how do you do that with a car that has so much of its identity ingrained in its looks?
Look after the jump for a hi-res photo gallery.
August 26, 2009 @ 5:51 pm
Hmmm…. I thought it’s Theo’s photoshop work at first. Looks cool yet weird. Needs time to get used to the design. Hehe….
August 26, 2009 @ 5:55 pm
i just can’t get myself to buy such a small car at such a huge price….
August 26, 2009 @ 5:55 pm
nice looking car…
August 26, 2009 @ 5:55 pm
ha..1st..wow!..what a car..
August 26, 2009 @ 5:56 pm
only in Malaysia we got a huge price..hehe
August 26, 2009 @ 5:57 pm
nice wat?
August 26, 2009 @ 6:01 pm
Though it looks very weird at first sight, it’s quite attractive as an overall package. That’s what a MINI supposed to be – eye capturing!
August 26, 2009 @ 6:12 pm
eeekkk… what a concept… but love the leather seat though…
August 26, 2009 @ 6:14 pm
Wah,damn nice!
August 26, 2009 @ 6:34 pm
Weird looking, but then not sure if tall people can fit in it
August 26, 2009 @ 6:56 pm
for a moment i thought it was a remote control toy car…..
the roof line, looks weird…
August 26, 2009 @ 6:57 pm
Nice, I can see a really sharp looking and handling rally car in the making!
August 26, 2009 @ 7:02 pm
I think the car is wearing a cap. Stripe one.
August 26, 2009 @ 7:24 pm
Better not judge b4 seeing the real thing. Hope it turns out good. Mini, a class of its own is crossing the line into coupe territory. Good luck
August 26, 2009 @ 7:28 pm
One word to describe, BEAUTIFUL!
August 26, 2009 @ 7:46 pm
tis is d results after “think outside d BOX”
August 26, 2009 @ 8:14 pm
looks awesome…!!
August 26, 2009 @ 9:10 pm
Looks great in certain angle.
August 26, 2009 @ 9:13 pm
so, it’s basically a mini with the roof chopped off..
August 26, 2009 @ 9:20 pm
Not bad… Kind of weird at first but the longer u look…. Not bad…
August 26, 2009 @ 9:21 pm
its a peugeot 207 cc.
August 26, 2009 @ 9:25 pm
it’s modification/adaptation from cooper, like mitsubishi lancer applied to other Mit cars.
August 26, 2009 @ 9:25 pm
Do i want a jet plane or a MINI? LOL!
August 26, 2009 @ 9:52 pm
it’s cool because it’s weird..and i dun think it looks like a Copen,though..but really nice..a real head turner!!
August 26, 2009 @ 9:57 pm
that topi not nice ah, should mould it into the body of the car, probably look better. but not bad eh.
same with the beetle. how to change a car that is so iconic with its look.
August 26, 2009 @ 10:19 pm
WOOOOOOOW !!!!!!!!
damn nice….. i want one!!!
August 26, 2009 @ 10:56 pm
looks out of proportion to me, huge fat body with a tiny, no, puny head.
its ugly!
August 26, 2009 @ 11:12 pm
damn nice!
but it’s not for a poor people btw.
August 26, 2009 @ 11:18 pm
tats one brutal mods
August 26, 2009 @ 11:58 pm
indeed! a good car!
August 27, 2009 @ 1:00 am
one word, sexy
August 27, 2009 @ 6:36 am
i love the super weird but sexy roof~yeah!
August 27, 2009 @ 7:36 am
Woow….cantik…Aku suka warnanya…warna apa tu? Kalau cat kat Honda Accord aku mesti lawa. AccordBuruk.com (SA6Y)
August 27, 2009 @ 7:55 am
Copy Kelisa, just like the new mini
August 27, 2009 @ 8:35 am
Hmmm..indecisive..cool..wtf..great..ugly..
August 27, 2009 @ 8:53 am
i want this cutie….!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 27, 2009 @ 9:25 am
to mat jambu go n buy… add more chicks…but no passion on driving….yaks
August 27, 2009 @ 9:32 am
looks so weird
August 27, 2009 @ 9:37 am
Nice. Although the essence of the mini’s have gone.
August 27, 2009 @ 9:41 am
Bella italia said,August 27, 2009 @ 9:25 am “to mat jambu go n buy… add more chicks…but no passion on driving….yaks”
What do you mean no passion on driving??..this car is all about passion…have you driven a european hothatch before?? europeans know more about passionate driving…sorry to say but you have no idea man..peace
August 27, 2009 @ 10:15 am
Much as I love the Mini… why don’t we stop all these forever lasting evergreen nostalgic crap and move on… the Mini need a new face!
it’s kinda boring to see the same Mini over and over again… time to work BMW!
As for this car, dont like it. Too ah beng for my taste… so a credit too all ah bengs.
August 27, 2009 @ 10:55 am
wak rempit,
so now we all know that all ah bengs’ design are too advance for its (our) time, but in a few years, all mainstream designer will copy our ah bengs’ design… hehheheh… so to quote you again, credits to all ah bengs…… looks like the next Mini may be such a design…
August 27, 2009 @ 11:15 am
freakin’ ugly!
August 27, 2009 @ 12:39 pm
wak rempit. with such a clasic interior design and out standing exterior.. i dont think ah beng will like it. i would say they did a very good job either to face lifting it or a new model.. just awsome..
August 27, 2009 @ 1:07 pm
weird.. need time to get use to the roof..
August 27, 2009 @ 1:30 pm
Wak Rempit said,
August 27, 2009 @ 10:15 am
Much as I love the Mini… why don’t we stop all these forever lasting evergreen nostalgic crap and move on… the Mini need a new face!
—-
LOL.
Right. If it doens’t look like a mini, why call it the mini then, better yet, how to continue to milk the mini brand that BMW spent millions for.
Its no longer small and compact, nor cheap for that matter. The looks is all the mini has left for it.
If you take out the face, and ignore the funky roof lines, this reminds me of 2 small 2+2 Japanese cars. The Nissan NX2000 and the Isuzu Impulse Turbo AWD.
August 27, 2009 @ 2:08 pm
it looks like a mini, it doesn’t look odd . that is brilliant !
August 27, 2009 @ 2:11 pm
btw guys , do search on the mini broadspeed coupe , this isn’t a new breed that bmw have created .
anyway turning something into it is such a success . becasue the DNA of mini is still there.
August 27, 2009 @ 2:25 pm
looks like kemek roof MINI
August 27, 2009 @ 4:08 pm
Cool…
August 27, 2009 @ 4:33 pm
mini porsche
August 27, 2009 @ 5:26 pm
the roofline sgt pelik..
this mini dah macam di pijak oleh ultraman gaia yg sedang berlawan dgn makhluk dr planet zorgon..
August 27, 2009 @ 6:42 pm
looks nice, easy and cool, but the roofline should be more clean or blend in with the body panels
August 28, 2009 @ 10:03 am
cool n sexy…i like it!!!
August 28, 2009 @ 5:33 pm
lowered roof + high price + weird color scheme = oh s–t.
August 28, 2009 @ 10:22 pm
kinda like it..nice!!