Car brand MINI will launch a coupé concept car at the Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (Frankfurt Motor Show), which opens tomorrow in Frankfurt, Germany.
The new coupé design combines the front of the MINI Cooper S and front side-panels from the mini Convertible, with a low slope at the back.
The car has two seats and a large luggage compartment.
The motor show opens tomorrow and continues until 27 September.
More about the Frankfurt Motor Show:
Vision EfficientDynamics by BMW
DS3 by Citroën
Here's some more information from MINI:
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MINI Coupé Concept: a vision of concentrated driving pleasure.
The MINI Coupé Concept brings together a wide range of features for a truly sporting and ambitious style of motoring.
Intentionally limiting the passenger compartment to two seats and focusing on consistent lightweight construction, the very concept of this unique car specifically addresses the demands made of a particularly dynamic and active coupé. At the same time the low roofline, a precisely defined spoiler at the rear, and further aerodynamically optimised features all serve to improve both the performance and the efficiency of the car.
Both in its design and in the opportunities to use a truly powerful engine, the MINI Coupé Concept sets the ideal foundation for a compact sports car in the premium segment. This two-seater study is conceived from the start also for the most powerful engine currently available in a MINI: Featuring the 1.6-litre twin-scroll turbocharged engine carried over from the MINI John Cooper Works, the concept car is able to offer supreme performance in every respect.
This four-cylinder delivers maximum output of 155 kW/211 hp and peak torque of 260 Newton-metres/192 lb-ft increasing briefly under Overboost to an even more significant 280 Newton-metres/206 lb-ft.Exterior design: typical MINI look with individual character.
In its body design, the MINI Coupé Concept spans the entire range from the beginnings of the MINI’s history far into the future of the brand, highlighting both the unique looks of the concept and its membership in the MINI family. Through its individual and emotional design language alone, the MINI Coupé Concept also promises a particularly impressive driving experience.
This unique two-seater measures 3,714 millimetres/146.2" in length and 1,683 millimetres/66.3" in width. The height of the car is 1,356 millimetres/53.4". Through these dimensions and its athletic proportions alone, the MINI Coupé Concept at very first sight stands out as a truly compact and powerful performer for all occasions.
The unmistakable look of the front end comes straight from the four-seater MINI, well-balanced contours with large radii on the engine compartment lid, the large headlights, the homogeneous sweep of the radiator grille and the extra-wide air scoop at the bottom offering the mimicry typical of every model in the range, full of openness and sporting appeal.
The radiator grille and engine compartment lid on the MINI Coupé Concept are the same as on the MINI Cooper S. The inner section of the grille nevertheless comes with trim bars in body colour clearly distinguishing the car from all other models in the MINI family.
The bonnet stripes also continue into the radiator grille, providing an additional sporting touch. Through its lower and even more streamlined windscreen, the MINI Coupé Concept shows its striking character and unique look from the very beginning also from this perspective.
The front side panels on the concept car come straight from the MINI Convertible. Similarly, the diagonal body joint between the engine compartment lid and the surrounds of the side direction indicators reflecting the style of the MINI Cooper S and characteristic of every MINI offers a unique sign of distinction.
The well-known look of these design features forms a stylish contrast to the far lower rake of the A-pillar leading into a completely different and very innovative roofline.
The glazed section of the passenger cell referred to as the greenhouse is far lower and more slender on this new model than on the regular models in the range.
The MINI Coupé Concept features a low and dynamic windscreen merging softly and gently into the roof, while at the rear the roofline initially moving back above the heads of the driver and passenger in a straight line tapers out into a sturdy and muscular C-pillar.
Throughout the entire car, the roof contours show an unmistakable bridge design feature to be admired for the first time on a MINI, made up of a stable cornerstone formed by the C-pillars and the more filigree structure above the passenger cell.
At the same time the side view of the MINI Coupé Concept shows a clear-cut wedge shape as if the car were constantly pushing ahead with all its muscle and power.
The rear-end design of the MINI Coupé Concept seeks to optimise the flow of air essential in terms of both driving dynamics and the efficiency of this unique two-seater. The rear spoiler with its wing profile fitted at the same level as the C-pillars makes a particularly significant contribution to the smooth flow of air at the rear of the MINI Coupé Concept and, at the same time, stands out as a genuine optical highlight.
The rear window of this two-seater elegantly tapering out to the bottom of the car merges in typical coupé style into a short and low rear end with just a hint of a notchback.
Again, this particular design follows the overriding objective to ensure an optimum flow of air without any turbulence or swirl possibly harming the car’s aerodynamic qualities. The spoiler right at the back of the car comes with appropriately sharp and clear-cut contours.
Impressively functional: tailgate opening up wide, lots of luggage space.
A further highlight is the special construction of the tailgate on the MINI Coupé Concept.
Intentionally doing without a rear seat bench, the body of this two-seater obviously offers additional space for all kinds of luggage. Luggage capacity, therefore, is no less than 250 litres or 8.8 cu ft. To make optimum use of this potential, the MINI Coupé Concept comes at the rear with a large and wide-opening tailgate.
Pivoting above the roof spoiler, the tailgate swings high up together with the rear window, offering convenient access to the extra-large luggage compartment behind the seats of the car. The bulkhead between the passenger and the luggage compartments, in turn, comes with a lockable opening.
The colour scheme and the choice of materials within the MINI Coupé Concept clearly symbolise the classic sportiness and unique character of the car. Like the instrument panel, the roof lining of this unique two-seater comes in black providing a calm ambience and helping the driver to concentrate on the actual driving experience. Black trim bars in conjunction with a carbon interior trim help to additionally enhance the purist look of the car.