Not long ago, we told you about the 2012 Mini Coupe, recently shown off by Mini with heavy camouflage and sparse details. Now, the automaker has released more information about its sportiest model yet, including final pricing, equipment and even official – and fully unwrapped – photos.
Most important to Mini loyalists is the 2012 Coupe’s pricing. Mini says the base-level Coupe trim, known as “Cooper,” will start at $22,000 (including a $700 destination charge). Base price for the turbocharged Cooper S model will be $25,300, and the top-of-the-line performance-tuned John Cooper Works version will come in at $31,900. That puts each trim level about $1,800 more than the equivalent Mini Cooper hatchback versions, and means the Coupe will cost about the same as the longer Mini Clubman.
As expected, base-level Coupe models will feature the same 121-horsepower 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine and six-speed manual or optional six-speed automatic transmission found in the Cooper hatchback. Optional engines include a 181-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder in the Cooper S Coupe, and a 208-horsepower version of the same engine in the John Cooper Works model. Zero-to-60 acceleration times range from a respectable 8.3 seconds with the base engine to a downright impressive 6.1 seconds in John Cooper Works versions.
Standard equipment on all models will include a CD player, power windows, mirrors and locks, and air-conditioning, with options ranging from Park Distance Control to automatic climate control, Bluetooth, a navigation system and a Harmon Kardon sound system.
While still featuring unmistakable Mini design, the Coupe features a flat, sporty roofline and an active rear spoiler that extends and retracts depending on the vehicle’s speed.
When the much-anticipated Coupe makes its debut next spring, it will find itself in a crowded field of inexpensive sports coupes. The Scion tC has seen a big jump in sales since its recent redesign, and the Mini Coupe will also face stiff competition from the Hyundai Genesis coupe, Kia Forte Koup, Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro .
