This Wednesday, on August 26, the MINI brand will turn 50 and to celebrate the occasion the British automaker will reveal the first photos a two-seater coupe concept car based on the hatchback model ahead of a planned debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show. According to Auto Cars 2011's inside sources, the most distinctive styling features of the coupe variant of the MINI are the steep windshield and of course the new roof.
Our source told us that the concept car will be based on the John Cooper Works Mini using the same 1.6-liter twin-turbocharged four-pot that pumps out 211 horsepower and a maximum torque of up to 280Nm or 207 lb-ft with overboost deployed.
However, the coupe promises to be quicker and even more capable than the three-door JCW Mini as it is lighter due in large part to the weight saving aluminum roof and the elimination of the rear seats.
According to our insider, the Coupe concept will be joined in Frankfurt by the long-anticipated Roadster model. What our source didn't reveal is when or if these two sporty versions of the Mini will make it into production.
And yes, the photo above is a photoshop based on an older MINI concept car that we drew up a couple of months ago when the first rumors broke about the Roadster model.
Stay tuned on Auto Cars 2011 as we'll have the Full Monty on the MINI Coupe on Wednesday.
