MINI Coupe and Roadster out, new sports car in?

Motoring is reporting that MINI wants to boost sales by replacing the lacklustre Coupe and Roadster models with a brand new sports car sometime around 2015-2016. It will be available in both soft- and hardtop configurations, and use a variant of BMW's 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder. Cooper S and John Cooper Works will be the only trim levels offered, apparently.

MINI is expected to launch various other models over the next five years, including:

• Vision concept (F56), at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show;
• Five-door hatchback (F55), at the 2014 Paris Auto Show;
• MINI Clubman (F54), possibly at the 2015 Geneva Auto Show;
• Vision-based cabriolet (F57), likely at the 2015 Frankfurt Auto Show.

The MINI lineup in North America and China will also add a new sedan (F53), while the Countryman (F60) and Paceman (F61) will be based on a different architecture from the rest of the family. A minivan is reportedly in the cards, too.

Source : motoring.com

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour