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MINI Coupe And Roadster In Production By Mid 2011: Report

Following the unveiling of the MINI Roadster and MINI Coupe at last year's Frankfurt Motor Show, new reports suggest the Coupe will hit showrooms next August, followed by the Roadster in February 2012.

Speaking with press in California this wee


Following the unveiling of the MINI Roadster and MINI Coupe at last year's Frankfurt Motor Show, new reports suggest the Coupe will hit showrooms next August, followed by the Roadster in February 2012.

Speaking with press in California this week, MINI US boss Jim McDowell confirmed the dates for the new models.

Adding credence to the reported plans to build the sporty pair, around 1000 new jobs are expected to be created at MINI's Cowley assembly plant in the UK, according to a BBC report last year.

MINI confirmed late last year that the production Coupe is likely to be powered by the same turbo-charged 1.6 litre petrol engine that drives the MINI John Cooper Works, developing 155kW and 260Nm of torque (up to 280Nm through the JCW MINI’s Overboost function).

The Roadster is expected to utilise the 126kW 1.6 litre turbocharged engine found in the Cooper S instead of the John Cooper Works-sourced unit of the Coupe Concept.

Like the Coupe, the MINI Roadster Concept grafts a raked-back windscreen, shorter side glass and a short bootlid to the standard MINI’s body.

Unique to the Roadster is its manually-folding fabric roof, matching the profile of the Coupe’s roofline and giving the Roadster a relatively low 1356mm overall height.

When retracted, the roof sits flush with the rear of the car without interrupting the concept’s smooth rising beltline.

The MINI Roadster and Coupe models are the latest in a slew of new badges for MINI, with the high-riding Countryman revealed in January. There is also word that MINI is considering putting its Beachcomber concept into production.

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