Sports car aficionados will now have two new reasons to clinch the swiftly growing small-car brand as MINI’s new Coupe and Roadster will soon go on sale. The new two-seat cars take the number of exceptional body styles in the Mini line-up from four to six which in turn joins the Cooper hatch, Cabrio, Clubman and Countryman SUV. MINI has decided to commence the new Coupe and Roadster with just the two top performance models — the 135kW/240Nm Cooper S, and the flagship 155kW/260Nm John Cooper Works (JCW) and have given sporty nature to them. The Mini Coupe and Roadster are also the only two-seat models in the range, and – in a first for the BMW-owned, British brand – adopt a three-box layout with a distinct protruding boot.

The price of JCW starts at $52,600 before on-road costs and the 155kW/260Nm 1.6-litre twin-scroll turbocharged petrol engine launches the Coupe from 0-100km/h in 6.4 seconds which makes it the quickest of the group. The helmet-headed JCW uses 7.1 litres of fuel per 100km on the combined cycle and demands a $2500 price premium. The soft-topped JCW Roadster is just one tenth slower over the sprint and officially flashes through 7.3L/100km. The JCW models are not meant for the faint-hearted as it is designed exclusively for serious little racers. The engine discharges an intoxicating growl each time you tap the accelerator, and pulls hard thanks to a tremendously broad peak torque band (1850-5600rpm).

The manual Cooper S Coupe provides just half a second to the JCW, still hitting 100km/h at below seven seconds. The power of engine is less compared to the bunch, but is more efficient, using 6.3L/100km combined. The sprint time and fuel consumption figures both drift out one tenth in the Cooper S Roadster alternative, while equipping both the models with the elective $2350 six-speed automatic transmission has a further negative impact on either measures.

The coupe features 17-inch alloy wheels, bi-xenon headlights, front and rear fog lights, rear parking sensors, active rear spoiler, climate control, and ‘Radio Mini Boost’ audio system with AUX, USB and Bluetooth connectivity while the standard features unique to the JCW variants include the enhanced exterior styling package, larger brakes, sports suspension, dynamic traction control and electronic differential lock control, Harmon Kardon audio system, and other interior tweaks.

via Caradvice