Mini celebrates its 50th with two new concepts

It’s a big year for Mini, as 2009 marks the brand’s 50th anniversary. To celebrate, the BMW-owned British automaker came to the Frankfurt Motor Show this week and pulled the covers off two new concept cars: The Mini Coupé and the Mini Roadster.

The pair are nicknamed ‘The Oxford Twins,’ after Mini’s production plant in the UK and ride on a platform that BMW says would be compatible with the existing production line (translation: if the public shows interest in the concepts, they’ll be put into production alongside Mini’s coming compact crossover).

The Mini Coupé Concept was designed from the outset as a two-seat hatchback, focused on lightweight construction. It’s longer, though narrower, than the Coopers we currently see on Canadian roads and shares its grille, hood and front fenders with production models.

The most powerful engine currently available in a Mini is stuffed under the hood: The 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder from the John Cooper Works model, making 211 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque. A brief overboost can crank torque to 206lb-ft.

The Mini Roadster Concept, meanwhile, repeats a lot of Coupé’s traits, minus a roof. Again, it’s a two-seater, focused this time on “uncompromising agility,” (i.e. that trademark go-kart handling).

The Roadster’s roof is a compact, manually folded soft top, which tucks neatly behind the seats. Luggage capacity remains exactly the same with the roof both open and closed. In some ways, it seems a better design than the current Cooper convertible.

Inside, the cabin gets a discreet black theme with retro wood trim. There’s also a multi-functional display left of the rev counter that shows the driver how much time he’s spent motoring with the roof down, like with the Always Open Timer on the Mini Convertible.