ArcaMax

The Mini coupe looks smaller than the regular Mini but both are exactly the same length (146.6 inches) and share the same wheelbase (97.1 inches). The only significant dimensional difference between the two is height. The regular Mini stands 55.4 inches - the coupe, 54.3 inches.

I've mentioned the sharp-angle windshield and "batter's helmet" roof. You also get an automatic-deploying rear spoiler that pops up whenever your speed hits 50 MPH. Its job is to provide additional downforce on the car's rear end, to aid traction and stability.

The inside is similar to the standard Mini: Same large centrally-mounted dial-type speedo, tachometer mounted on the steering wheel in the driver's line-of-sight, old-timey Limey-style toggle switches to operate the power windows and other functions. Behind the driver and front-seat passenger are molded "speed cones" that taper back to the cargo area. Which is a decently usable, if not over-large, space.

The back hatch opens low and wide, maximizing access to the available space. But, there is much less space (just 7 cubic feet) than in the regular Mini, which has more than triple the available real estate at 24 cubic feet with its back seats folded down.

Like the regular Mini, the coupe can be highly customized with dealer-available accessories, including custom graphic packages.

THE REST

I understand why Mini added to the coupe to the mix. The regular Mini has been around for ten years - can you believe it? - and like any other automaker, Mini knows that newness keeps people interested. And, the Mini has always had a sporty character - even if it started out as an economy-minded car. '60s-era Minis were almost immediately hopped-up for better performance - and the S and JCW versions of the current Mini are popular with buyers.

It's a reasonable step to add a more obviously enthusiast-minded Mini to the lineup. Even the absence of back seats in the coupe is not-unreasonable, given that the back seats in the regular Mini are not fit for people anyhow. So, the basic idea seems sound to me.

But I'm not so sure about the execution. The coupe should at least be lighter than the regular Mini. That all by itself would have given it a performance edge. Failing that, the coupe could use some extra horses - not necessarily a stampede of them. But enough, at least, to put some daylight between it and the regular Mini. That's what Fiat did with the Abarth version of the 500 - which gets a unique-to-that-model turbocharged engine and much-improved performance over the regular Fiat 500.

If it'd been my call, the base coupe would have come with the regular Mini Cooper S model's upgraded suspension and wheel/tire package, plus at maybe 10-20 more hp out of the non-turbo 1.6 liter engine. A free flow exhaust and some tuning should be all that's needed to get there. The coupe S should have 200 hp - and be almost as quick as a JCW regular Mini.

And the JCW coupe ought to be quicker still. Cutting its curb weight by 200 pounds would do the trick.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Absent better performance, one wonders (well, I wonder) how many people will put up with the coupe's compromises without the compensation of better-than-standard Mini performance. I guess we'll see!

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www.ericpetersautos.com or EPeters952@aol.com for comments.