Mini Coupé Roadster

2011 MINIs to go with show

Leaked patent office pictures show final cars will closely resemble Frankfurt stand stars, two-door could revive legendary Broadspeed name.

From concept to reality – it turns out the coupé and roadster versions of the MINI will look virtually the same as the cars revealed at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show!

Bosses have confirmed that unearthed patent drawings show the production cars – so the two-door retains the concept’s dramatic cutaway roof and Le Mans stripes.

But we has discovered that BMW is in secret negotiations with the owners of the Broadspeed trademark with a view to using the famous race team’s name – inextricably linked to Mini – on the 200bhp-plus coupé.

The patent drawings reveal subtle differences between the two concepts and production cars. Most noticeable is that the retro chrome petrol cap has been ditched in favour of a more conventional cap and flush-fit flap. And where the radiator grille was barred, it now uses the same honeycomb design as the Cooper S.

Also, differences between the coupé and roadster – which could be called the Speedster – show both will be offered in Cooper S and John Cooper Works specs. The two-door is pictured with the hot Works’ black foglight surrounds; the soft-top is dressed from the grille down in Cooper S spec.

Works cars will feature an uprated version of the hatch’s 211bhp 1.6-litre turbo, while the Cooper S won’t trail by much, with the three-door’s 175bhp unit being tweaked. Prices are likely to start from close to £20,000 at launch in the second half of 2011.

The Broadspeed name would link the coupé to a Mini fastback produced by Ralph Broad in 1965. The Birmingham-based touring car engineer raced Minis in the Sixties, regularly beating the works Cooper cars.