Road Tests

Since its rebirth by BMW for 2002, the Mini Cooper has been a fun, little sports car trapped in a funky, box-shaped body.  Well, with the introduction of the new Mini Cooper Coupe, it finally has a proper shape to match its devil-may-care attitude. So is this pint-sized two-seater still a Mini, or is it a whole new animal?

The 2012 MINI Copper Coupe may not be a completely different animal; but possibly a different species, as it is the first two-seater for the brand. The look is familiar enough to be recognized as a MINI, yet different enough to know that it is a lot new. It’s the chopped top that catches your eye first, with the roof panels looking a bit like a backwards baseball cap sitting atop a minimal greenhouse.

Up front, the face is much more familiar with big round headlights and trapezoidal grille. Our track-capable John Cooper Works model adds a hood scoop, and aggressive lower fascia with splitter. The stepped rear end is certainly unique to the MINI line-up, and this “Coupe” is actually a 3-door hatchback. A contrasting color roof is standard, as is a rear spoiler that deploys at 50 miles per hour. Most of our staff found it cute, even if for a few; it was more in the “so ugly that it’s cute” department.  

When it came to driving the Coupe however, everyone agreed it’s a real hoot; especially in John Cooper Works trim, which includes Dynamic Traction Control and Electronic Differential Lock Control, as well as a lower ride height, stiffer damping, and larger anti-roll bars. Built on the Cooper Convertible’s already reinforced chassis, the downside of all this is a ride quality that comes very close to being rigid.

A slick shifting 6-speed manual transmission is the only choice for the John Cooper Works Coupe, but a 6-speed automatic is optional in the Cooper and Copper S. We’ve said for years that the boxy Mini Cooper responds like a true sports car, now the Coupe actually looks the part. And, being a true sports car, things are a bit tight in the cabin. Not claustrophobic mind you, but more like being in a fighter jet bubble, with all controls close at hand. 

The expected big MINI speedometer is literally front and center, and located in its center is the optional MINI “Connected” navigation system. Inputs are made with a small joystick-like controller on the center console, and it is all fairly intuitive and easier to use than expected. There’s no rear seat, but there is a surprisingly good 9.8 cubic-feet of storage space and a small pass through, making it about as practical as a two-seater can get. 

The base Coupe’s 121-horsepwer, 1.6-liter I4 is all practical. But the Coupe rolls better with the 181-horse turbo and intercooled-4 in S trim. But, it’s the higher boosted, freer breathing JCW that’s on fire. 208-horsepower and 192 pound feet of torque; with 207 pound feet available via overboost.

The JCW Coupe is the fastest MINI yet, as the factory claims a 0-60 time of 6.1-seconds. Our short time with the Coupe, accompanied by unyielding rain didn’t give us a chance to confirm that, but the motor does feel very strong, especially off the line; exhibiting a fair amount of front-wheel-drive torque-steer. But, once you get rolling, gears are spaced perfectly to make full use of the engine’s power.   

While feedback is excellent, when pushed hard, the Coupe will under-steer. It is a front driver after all, and sometimes with little warning, which could spell trouble. But, like most sports cars, half of the fun is staying on top things like that and correction is easy.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings for our John Cooper Works Coupe are 25-City and 33-Highway. We averaged 28.2 miles-per-gallon of Premium in mixed driving. Not great for such a small car, but acceptable for one that’s this much fun. And it does have a better-than-average Energy Impact Score of 12.2-barrels of oil consumed per year, with emissions of 6.7 annual tons of CO2.

A base MINI Cooper Coupe rings in at $22,000. You can step up to the “S” for $25,300, and the ultimate John Cooper Works Coupe sets you back $31,900. And, yes, a drop top two-seater, the Mini Roadster, is on the way.

Much like every MINI Cooper before it, it’s hard not to fall in love with the 2012 Coupe. It may be the helmet-like styling that lures you in, but it’s the pure driving enjoyment that really seals the deal. It’s a welcome addition to the MINI line-up and it has definitely stirred up the small car segment as well; and we’ve never had this much fun getting “Couped-up.”