ArcaMax

WHAT'S GOOD

Same great gas mileage as regular Mini. A different look than the regular Mini.

WHAT'S NOT SO GOOD

Same performance as the regular Mini, in spite of the much more aggressive looks - and higher price. Much less room inside than the regular Mini. Diminished view of what's outside and all around you due to to the lowered roofline and thick C pillars.

UNDER THE HOOD

The Mini coupe has the same drivetrain options as the regular Mini - and this could be a problem for Mini with this model, which is built around its sportier-than-normal image.

As in the regular Mini, the coupe's standard engine is a 1.6 liter, 122 hp four cylinder paired with either a a six-speed manual or (optionally) a six-speed automatic.

There is a significant difference in performance between the manual and automatic-equipped Mini coupe: The six-speed stick version can do the 0-60 run in a sprightly 8.2 seconds; the automatic is more than one full second slower, solidly in the mid nines. That's not a bad number for the regular Mini - which doesn't present itself as a sporty car as much as a fun-minded economy car. But in the aggressive-looking coupe, it's disappointing. Just my 50 cents, but if I'd been in charge at Mini, I'd have given the Mini coupe a few more oats - and better acceleration - than the regular Mini.

Same issue with the S and JCW versions of the coupe. They're not borderline slow - the turbocharged S, with 181 hp, gets to 60 in a presentably quick 6.4-6.7 seconds (even with the automatic). And the JCW version - which gets a higher-boost version of the 1.6 engine jacked-up to 208 hp, is capable of getting to 60 in just over six seconds flat with the six-speed manual.

These are good numbers - but they're also the same numbers as the regular Mini.

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