MINI took to the stage at the Frankfurt Motor Show to unveil its Roadster concept, a sporty two-seater drop-top based on the existing Mini Cabriolet. Although the model looks production-ready, the official version likely won’t debut until late 2010 before going on sale as a 2011 model year.
Essentially unchanged from a standard MINI Cabriolet below the beltline, the Roadster’s cabin has been shrunk and a rear decklid has been added. The trunk grows from 5.7 cubic feet to nearly 9 cubic feet and a lockable trunk pass-through helps passengers reach the cargo area from inside the vehicle.
A new multifunction display adds a Nature Guard (which measures how eco-friendly your driving is), a Highspeed Shift indicator (think of it as the opposite of the Nature Guard), a Gravity Indicator (with lateral g-force measurement), Heart Beat (based on engine speed) and a Buddy Radar to indicate where other MINI vehicles are (though no production MINI features a tracking device).
The Coupe concept, which shares the platform and debut date with the Roadster is said to have the top-of-the-line 1.6-liter turbocharged John Cooper Works engine – good for 211 horsepower. That said, we likely expect the same 118 horsepower 1.6-liter unit found in the traditional MINI to be the base offering – no information has indicated a sport version for the Roadster – yet.
MINI has confirmed production intent, and says that the Roadster will go on sale as a 2011 model year in Europe in late 2010, and early 2011 in the U.S.
09/15, 9:14 AM
posted by:
SomeGreek
That explains the design of the rear of the coupe version.
09/15, 10:01 AM
posted by:
Sgt Beavis
I like it. It is a good looking design.
However, I’d never buy one.
09/15, 11:17 AM
posted by:
global_lightning
That looks ready for production. I just wish they would get rid of the Flava-Flav center-mounted speedometer
09/15, 1:59 PM
posted by:
aesir
Perfect car for a girlfriend… in LA.
09/15, 10:44 PM
posted by:
Mad About Cars
I think the roadster is the prettier of the two, but as a guy, I can’t help noticing how the colour scheme is biased towards girls, because in the right colour it might just attract as many male customers perhaps, could be a marketing mistake.
That’s because I like it, a TT with character