http://assets.carbuzz.co.uk/large/MINI/Coupe/MINI%20Coupe%20JCW%20(3).jpg

Quite a few reviews out this week for the MINI Coupe, only JCW and Cooper SD model driven though so far.

Mostly positive, though they say it's no more fun than the hatch to drive, which I'm surprised at. Suprised also that the Cooper SD is getting not great reviews though, when it got such a good writeup in the hatch and Cludman.

This site has aggregated the reviews - MINI Coupe reviews on Carbuzz (http://www.carbuzz.co.uk/car-reviews/MINI/Coupe)

Anyone buying one? Been put or off by the press?

I just don't like the look of it... well, not enough to buy one anyway.

I'm hoping the Roadster next year will be a different story. :D

£16,500 to £26,000 before the essential accessories?

When a 211bhp Audi TT starts at £27,000 and doesn't look like the conversion was carried out by the losers on Scrap Heap Challenge?

I expect to have a good laugh the first time that i see one on the road! http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-laughing024.gif

There were several Coupes on show at the Oxford Factory during the MINI Plant Family Open Day a few weeks back.......I thought they looked great in the metal, especially in Red with Silver Roof and will sell well. :cool:

http://i555.photobucket.com/albums/jj470/mab01uk/MINI%20Oxford%20Family%20Day%202011/SAM_2408.jpg

My first impression was 'I've seen this before, it looks like those Red Bull Minis!'

I think this might be a car I have to see in person.

In some photos I love it... in others, I am horrified at it.

My feeling as well.

http://www.infowars.com/images/spaceballs.jpg

I have ordered one, approx one month ago.

I have already spoken to p-torque regarding a remap to try and exploit it's full potential!

I wish there were some cooper sd remap reviews. I'm wondering if 30% power and torque increase is enough to make this into the coupe that should have been avaiable directly from the stealers!?

I like it directly to the front and rear but If I get a glimpse of that hideous roof from a side angle it lets it down

A two-seater with space for more

http://i555.photobucket.com/albums/jj470/mab01uk/Coupe-trunk.jpg

More:
MotoringFile Archive MINI Shows off the Coupe’s Junk in the Trunk (http://www.motoringfile.com/2011/09/03/mini-shows-off-the-coupes-boot/)

A two-seater with space for more

http://i555.photobucket.com/albums/jj470/mab01uk/Coupe-trunk.jpg

More:
MotoringFile Archive MINI Shows off the Coupe’s Junk in the Trunk (http://www.motoringfile.com/2011/09/03/mini-shows-off-the-coupes-boot/)

Very like the standard hatch with the rear seats unbolted, but without the useful height then.... :rolleyes:

Very like the standard hatch with the rear seats unbolted, but without the useful height then.... :rolleyes:

My thoughts exactly...

I think the Convertible Roadster will be a lot more attractive, but I can't see the point in this Coupe.

My thoughts exactly...

I think the Convertible Roadster will be a lot more attractive, but I can't see the point in this Coupe.

If I wanted a 2-seater car that was regularly parked outside on the street whilst living in a city like London I would choose the hardtop MINI Coupe over a Convertible Roadster anyday........

Ford relied heavily on customer led design via feedback from 'customer design clinics' in the late 1980's/early '90s to approve their new car designs...........the result was very conservative, bland and boring cars like this Mk5 Escort, seen tested by a very sensible Jeremy Clarkson in the video below :D
After poor sales and a couple of facelifts, they later abandoned 'customer led design' and allowed their designers freedom to come up with the Ford Focus. It shocked many of their traditional customers at first but after a while became a top seller and leader of its class copied by many other car manufacturers since.

Ford Escort MK5 1.4 LX Road Test - YouTube

EVO on the MINI Coupé JCW:
Mini John Cooper Works Coupe review and pictures | evo (http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/271996/driven_mini_john_cooper_works_coupe.html)

How does it compare?

An equivalent Audi TT or Peugeot RCZ will be more practical (bigger boot, two small rear seats) but more expensive, and for driving thrills a JCW Coupe has them both licked. Sales in the coupe class are often based on looks, though, and the Mini’s styling is likely to be quite love/hate.

If I wanted a 2-seater car that was regularly parked outside on the street whilst living in a city like London I would choose the hardtop MINI Coupe over a Convertible Roadster anyday........

Ford relied heavily on customer led design via feedback from 'customer design clinics' in the late 1980's/early '90s to approve their new car designs...........the result was very conservative, bland and boring cars like this Mk5 Escort, seen tested by a very sensible Jeremy Clarkson in the video below :D
After poor sales and a couple of facelifts, they later abandoned 'customer led design' and allowed their designers freedom to come up with the Ford Focus. It shocked many of their traditional customers at first but after a while became a top seller and leader of its class copied by many other car manufacturers since.

Ford Escort MK5 1.4 LX Road Test - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Vx3uFS0u_U)

Isn't old Jeremy Clarkson funny to watch?! He's got a shirt, tie and jacket, but the jeans are making an appearance. What with the put on BBC voice, it makes him look like a student who's applying for a job! :D

I agree with the downside of customer clinicing, it's very difficult to drive design forward when all customers ask for is more of what they've already got!

Having said that, while a customer clinic car is likely to be bland (Escort), the result of a designer's freethinking is unlikely to be bland; it could either be spectacularly good, or very ugly. The Coupe certainly isn't in the "spectacularly good" category....

Agreed it is not spectacularly good but pretty ugly. I tend to concur with your view that it looks like it was built by the losers from scrap heap challenge.
What this thread reveals is how some posters think that Mini can do no wrong - I guess one tends to get that a lot on single make motoring forums.
I love my Mini Cooper Diesel but I am not so blinkered to think that everything that Mini produces is good. I appreciate it for its good points rather than because it is a Mini in the same way I appreciate my other cars for their qualities rather than their brand. Clearly that is not the case for all.

But as always "one man's meat is another man's poison" not simply a case of Mini can do no wrong........I personally just like it and since having seen it in the metal, as with many new car designs am sure it will grow on many more with familiarity on the road, of course the ultimate test will be in sales achieved worldwide and in the longer term its residual values.

I think its interesting where bmw have taken the brand. Ultimately to make money they can almost make anything with a market, if it has the brand image, people are inclined to it much further. If this coupe was a Citroen (ds3) or a renault/pug I imagine most people wouldn't like it as much.

I personally don't like the design because as a designer myself (blah) I can see they haven't designed a new car with no limits, they have forced a coupe into the current mini design as best they could and tried to hide the odd roof shape with another odd roof section. Maybe it may look better in real life, but there seems no real point to it, the mini convertible should suffice. The roof looks a mess, maybe they can fix this with facelift. It seems like a case of "what else can we do to push another model". They have decided to make sure there is a car for everyone, with the brand.

It is interesting the other MINIs they have made too, the countryman (don't like it myself). I hope they don't go too bananas, but Im not too fussed as I think the best design has been the r53. The newer ones have grown on me though. I am a bit bias as I have history of lots of old minis in the family, so I thought it was great when they made the new clubman and then when they made the countryman I realised times have changed and as romantic as we are about our minis, they will push some random models that are nothing to do with history (obviously why would they, they no longer rely on the old mini for anything brand wise).

Have MINI not made every type of car for the market now? The only thing they are missing is a smart car size mini (prototyped?), some sort of giant business car model like an A8 (probably not going to happen with all that competition from audi, lexus, merc etc) and that's it really.

Hats off to the branding though, done a great job and for me made one of the best looking (r50, r53) cars of our time.

(hope I didnt bore anyone too much who actually read this)

There are already a couple of small/medium Peugeot/pug coupes around not sure what the model numbers are? Also the Vauxhall/Opel Tigra...........to me the Mini Coupe looks far better than all these.

With the Countryman BMW said at 4 metres long this will be the biggest Mini for owners with growing family needs but that each new model in the range will aim to be the smallest in its class sector.
Larger sizes of car are catered for by the BMW range, although there is talk of smaller BMW's based on the future Mk3 Mini platform allowing a range of small cars for those who prefer more contempory BMW styling and not related to the Mini brands unique classic 'style' and 'heritage'.