Mini is on the move, both literally and figuratively. Literally, it just began its 3,903-mile roadtrip from New York City to Los Angeles this week in its annual “Mini Takes the States” event, launching on Independence Day. We think that launch date was intentional from the Anglo-Teutonic brand.
Mini is also moving on up, expanding its range next year with the 2013 Mini Paceman, a coupe version of the Mini Countryman crossover, the brand confirmed at its roadtrip kickoff.
Thought to be called Countryman Coupe or one of several other names, Mini confirmed that it would be using the Paceman name that graced the 2011 Detroit auto show concept car.
“The Mini Paceman is the world’s first sports activity coupe in the premium compact segment. It combines a clear appetite for extravagance and infectious driving fun in a style that only a Mini could pull off with such authenticity,” says Mini senior brand manager Kay Segler in a statement.
Mini apparently forgot about the Range Rover Evoque, which is pretty compact, available as a coupe, and is even more premium than the Mini. Regardless, the three-door Mini Paceman will be the seventh model coming from the Mini, joining the Cooper, Coupe, Roadster, Countryman, Clubman, and Cooper convertible. The Mini Paceman will likely get power from the same 121-horsepower four-cylinder, or 181-horsepower turbocharged engine as the Countryman, with all-wheel drive available with the turbocharged model. A six-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmission will also likely be available, as they’re offered in every other Mini model.
Mini says the Paceman will be officially unveiled in a few months and will be joining the brand for 2013 model year. We’re hedging our bets on September and October’s Paris Motor Show for our first look at the production-ready version of the Mini Paceman.
Source: Mini
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