Mini has confirmed the engine line-up earmarked for its eagerly-awaited Cooper Coupé ahead of its official unveiling at the Frankfurt motor show in September.
This performance-focused model will be underpinned by a well-balanced, lightweight and torsionally rigid suspension set-up and body structure geared towards serving up that typical go-kart-esque driving experience Mini owners love so much. Among the driver aids augmenting the aforementioned architecture will be standard-issue Electric Power Steering and DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) systems, while DTC (Dynamic Traction Control) with EDLC (Electronic Differential Lock Control), which are standard on the range-topping John Cooper Works Coupé, will be offered as optional extras on the other models.
A trio of BMW’s latest generation of four-cylinder engines will power the Coupé. The normally-aspirated 1,6-litre Mini develops 90 kW and maximum torque is 160 N.m. This unit propels the car from 0–100 km/h in 9,0 seconds and on to a top speed of 204 km/h. The Mini Cooper S Coupé features a turbocharged 1,6-litre unit developing 135 kW and 240 N.m – good enough for 0–100 km/h in 6,9 seconds and a top speed of 230 km/h. An uprated version of this engine powers the Mini John Cooper Works Coupé to the tune of 155 kW and 260 N.m (280 N.m with overboost at 1 700 – 4 500 r/min) bringing up 100 km/h from standstill in 6,4 seconds on the way to a top speed of 240 km/h.
The new Mini Coupé goes on sale in South Africa in the last quarter of 2011.
