cool pics to draw: Detroit Preview: Mini Paceman concept relieves Countryman of extra doors

Monday, December 20, 2010

Detroit Preview: Mini Paceman concept relieves Countryman of extra doors

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Coupe, Crossover, Mini

Mini Paceman concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

How many Minis is too many? Mini's about to find out as its product portfolio expands faster than a jilted lover's waistline. The hatchback that (re)started it all and the cabrio that followed shortly thereafter have since been joined by the Clubman wagon and the Countryman crossover, with WRC and Dakar rally versions, speedsters and coupes and more in the production pipeline. But that doesn't even take into account some of the concept derivatives that haven't (yet) made it to production, and this is the latest.

Called the Paceman, it's essentially a Countryman minus a couple of doors. It's set to be unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in January as a concept car, but could very well make it to production as well. Taking a page out of its parent company's BMW's playbook, Mini calls the Paceman a "Sports Activity Coupe" (sort of like the BMW X6) and insists it's the first of its kind in the small premium segment. A "first" is pretty easy to achieve when you define the category yourself, but to our eyes the Paceman, with its sloping white roof, looks set to take on the likes of the three-door Range Rover Evoque, only smaller.

Under the hood, Mini's fitted the JCW turbo four with 211 horsepower, mated to the same ALL4 all-wheel drive system used in the Countryman. More details are available in the press release after the jump, along with the initial images in the gallery below. We'll be on hand at Cobo Hall to bring you live impressions from NAIAS, so stay tuned.

Gallery: Mini Paceman Concept