Not so long ago did we report about the all new super-compact 2012 MINI Coupe dressed in designer camouflage, and now the Coupe has been unofficially unmasked revealing more interesting details.
The Coupe shall be available in three variants, each featuring engines of different calibres. The range starts from the Mini Cooper Coupe which sports the 1.6-litre four-cylinder gasoline motor churning out 121 hp at 6,000 rpm and 160 Nm of torque at 4,250 rpm – this range-starter Coupe can do the 0-100 kph dash in a claimed 8.3 seconds and can hit a top speed of 228 kph. The basic Coupe also has the best fuel efficiency figures, which is a whopping 5.4 litres/100 km.
Next up in the line is the MINI Cooper S Coupe which features a 1.6-litre four-cylinder gasoline engine with twin-scroll turbo charger and direct injection, sporting 181 horses at 5,500 rpm and 239 Nm of torque – with Overboost at 1,700 to 4,500 rpm, the torque figure climbs up to 260 Nm momentarily for optimal acceleration. The Cooper S Coupe is claimed to hit 100 kph in as little as 6.5 seconds and is capable of a top speed of 228 kph. Fuel efficiency figures for this Coupe variant stands at 5.8 litres/100 km.
The range-topper MINI John Cooper Works Coupe features a 1.6-litre four-cylinder gasoline engine mated to a twin-scroll turbocharger, sporting direct fuel injection, aluminium cylinder block and bearing mounts, reinforced pistons and lightweight crankshafts – all good for a whopping 208 hp at 6,000 rpm and 260 Nm of torque. With Overboost at 1,700 – 4,500 rpm, the torque figure soars to 280 Nm temporarily, aiding lightning-fast acceleration. The John Cooper Works Coupe can touch 100 kph in a mind-blowing 6 seconds timeframe and can achieve a top speed of 240 kph – making it the sportiest Coupe in the Coupe lineup and the fastest street-legal mass-produced MINI ever.
All three variants with gasoline engines feature a variable valve management system based on BMW’s VALVETRONIC technology and will be mated to a standard 6-speed manual transmission or to an optional 6-speed automatic steptronic transmission available only on the Cooper Coupe and Cooper S Coupe models. Apart from superior handling and agility aided by Electric Power Steering, Dynamic Stability Control, Dynamic Traction Control with Electronic Differential Lock Control and an Active rear spoiler which extends itself at speeds over 80 kph, the new Coupe also features a host of new and interesting interior appointments and features – some of which are first in a MINI.
The interior features of the two-seater MINI includes a speed-sensitive power steering, electrically adjustable exterior mirrors, Park Distance Control, height-adjustable seats, air conditioning and an audio system with MP3-compatible CD player and AUX IN connection as standard. Optional equipments include black headlight housing, Adaptive HID Headlights, Comfort Access, Climate control, automatically dimming rear-view mirror and exterior mirrors, Harman Kardon sound system, Bluetooth and USB audio interface.
A rather interesting optional feature is the MINI Connected functions which includes web radio, Google local search and Google Send-to-Car services, reception of RSS news feeds, and, of all things on this planet, in-car support for Facebook and Twitter! All these are available with the MINI Visual Boost radio or the MINI navigation system featuring a 6.5-inch colour screen. Facebook and Twitter updates are displayed on the on-board monitor and can be read aloud by the optional MINI Connected voice output function. And if that was not enough, the current vehicle data and details of the driver’s destination or the outside temperature can be added to pre-formatted text messages and sent out directly from the car using either service.
The base Coupe carries a tag which is a little over Dhs 80,000; the Cooper S Coupe comes for approximately Dhs 93,000 and the range topper John Cooper Works Coupe is yours for a nominal price of Dhs 117,000. Mind you, these are the costs for the United States market, so it will likely cost 30% more in the UAE, and this is what you pay for a car that supports Facebook on-the-go! What remains to be seen is whether the GCC customers will be blessed with Facebook and Twitter integration –- nevertheless, expect a GCC launch by the fall of this year.
And, what’s more, its public debut will be in one of the most demanding endurance races of the world, the Nürburgring 24 hours at the legendary Nordschleife, the place which Jackie Stewart has famously christened “the Green Hell”. 
The Coupé’s appearance was previewed by the 2009 concept car of the same name and is distinguished by the backwards “helmet roof” design and the more sharply raked A-pillars. 
