Concept: Mini Concept Coupe
Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 11:37 pm
Inside Line wrote:The 2009 Mini Coupe Concept began with the same turbocharged 211-horsepower 1.6-liter inline-4 that powers the Mini John Cooper Works, and just like the regular Mini in Europe, it measures 146.1 inches overall and 66.1 inches wide. But thanks to the new greenhouse, it is just 53.3 inches high, some 1.4 inches lower than before. It's a pure two-seater, and there's only luggage space behind the front seats.
"It is intended to be really sporty," Hildebrand says. "And because of the absence of rear seats, it weighs between 175 and 200 pounds less."
Beneath the skin, this concept is still a Mini John Cooper Works. This will help reinforce the coupe's mission, which is, as Hildebrand says, "to emphasize Mini's masculine side."
To differentiate all of the vehicles in the Mini lineup, the designers have focused on the roof, Hildebrand tells us: "Have a look at the different Mini models, like the Cooper, Clubman and the crossover that is due for next year. They all have different roof shapes."
There's no crazy stuff for the 2009 Mini Coupe Concept's interior, since the dash design and the seats come straight from the regular Mini. Designing a completely new interior would have been impossible anyway, because of the short period in which the showcar had to be designed and built.
The coupe has a big hatch, and the cargo space measures about 8.8 cubic feet, about the same as a regular Mini three-door. "Eventually maybe we can move the seats down even a bit more, but you must not forget that Mini already is one of the cars with the lowest seating position," said Hildebrand.
Hildebrand leaves little doubt that the 2009 Mini Coupe Concept is a serious design proposal: "Everything you see is doable for production. It might not be cheap, but it's doable. Hopefully we can get the OK before the end of the year. We will need another two to three years to develop the car. For sure we have to do a thorough aerodynamic study, because we've only done a rough one on the computer."
There's no word yet about what such a production version of the 2009 Mini Coupe Concept car might be called. "This is always something that's done last," Hildebrand says. "It's always one of the more difficult parts of bringing a car to the market. We have thought about lots of names, from Speedwell to Broadspeed, two traditional English tuning companies. Personally I like Downton, a company that made Minis for celebrities in its time."
