The pictures show the car still in camouflage, but the overall look of the car is not too far removed from the concept that was first shown at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. Seen in John Cooper Works (JCW) form, the MINI Coupe features the same aero package as seen on the concept, including the modified front and rear bumpers, side skirts and flared wheel arches. The MINI Coupe also gets a hidden rear spoiler that pops up at 80km/h.

MINI says it has fine-tuned the chassis of the three-door hatchback model upon which the Coupe is based on. “The new car radiates the brand’s hallmark go-kart feeling with a whole new depth of intensity and achieves the best performance statistics ever recorded by a volume-produced MINI,” the carmaker said in a statement.

MINI has also revealed details about the Coupe’s line-up and range of engines. The top-of-the-range model is the Coupe John Cooper Works (JCW) variant, which has a 1.6-litre turbo petrol that produces 211bhp. The next model is the Coupe Cooper S, with the same engine producing 184bhp. The final petrol-engined version is the Coupe Cooper, which has a naturally-aspirated 1.6-litre engine with 122bhp.

In selected markets, MINI will also offer a Coupe Cooper SD, which has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine that produces 143bhp. The all-new MINI Coupe is expected to go on sale by early 2012, and a MINI Roadster version, based on the Coupe, is expected to be launched shortly afterwards.

Source: MINI