First and foremost is an official name change - when the car hits dealer showrooms, it will be called the MINI Countryman Coupe. This makes sense, because the name ties the new model back to an established MINI product, and it is, essentially, a two-door coupe version of the Countryman wagon.
We also seem to have confirmation, via Car and Driver, that the Countryman Coupe will make its official debut at this fall’s Paris Auto Show. Expect it to hit the market in early 2013 (as a 2013 model), with sales likely beginning in Europe first. If we had to guess, we’d expect it stateside by the middle of next year, probably as a 2013 model (in keeping with German automaker logic).
As with the current MINI Countryman, expect the Countryman Coupe to come in both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive, with base (121 horsepower), S (181 hp) and John Cooper Works (208 hp) models in the lineup.
We’ll bring you all the official details on MINI’s latest model as part of our complete Paris Auto Show coverage.