Mini: Three's a crowd in Coupe and Roadster

Mini's first two-seat car in hard-top coupe or roadster format. At first glance, both look a tad flattened and no wonder - the Coupe is 29mm lower and 4mm longer than the standard car, with the same width and wheelbase. The Roadster is almost as exaggerated. A raked-back windscreen swoops into the low roofline and on over the boot, yet the cabin feels roomier than expected, with plenty of space for bags behind the seats plus a 280-litre boot for the Coupe, 20 more than Mini's Clubman. Power comes from 1.6-litre turbo engines matched to six-speed manual or auto transmissions and delivering 135kW/260Nm for the S and 155kW/280Nm in the John Cooper Works hottie. These are halo cars, designed to attract new customers rather than selling in high numbers; extroverts who want a light, stiff, darty car with some pretensions to practicality. We like Slightly better dynamics for a more entertaining drive, while a bigger boot makes this Mini easier to live with if you need only two seats. There is plenty of customisation with a wide array of colours and finishes that convey a premium experience to suit the $51,200- $67,200 range. We loathe John Cooper Works variants may be a hoot when driven with verve, but too-hard suspension will dull day-to-day appeal.