Mini will equip its new Coupe model with BMW's most powerful four-cylinder gas engines for the U.S. market, with John Cooper Works and Cooper S variants offered from launch later this year.
All elements of the two-seater have been engineered for “optimum performance," according to Mini. To that end, the Coupe gets a unique chassis setup, bodywork and interior over the three-door hatchback it is based on, as well as BMW”s latest generation of four-cylinder engines.
The JCW version is powered by a turbocharged 208hp/192lb-ft 1.6-liter engine that helps propel it from 0-62mph in just 6.4sec. The turbocharged 181hp/177lb-ft Cooper S and normally aspirated 120hp/118lb-ft Cooper models are also powered by a 1.6-liter unit. U.S. customers won't get the British/European diesel engine, though.
"The selection of engines, chassis setup, weight distribution and aerodynamic properties of the Mini Coupe are all focused on delivering optimum performance," the company said in its announcement of the range. "As a result, the new car radiates the brand's hallmark go-kart feeling with a whole new depth of intensity and achieves the best performance statistics ever recorded by a volume-produced Mini. It is the fastest-accelerating Mini ever and has the highest top speed."