2012 Paris Motor Show: Mini debuts Paceman and John Cooper Works GP

BMW’s small car arm, Mini, unveiled the Paceman and the John Cooper Works GP at the Paris Motor Show. Like all other John Cooper Works GP editions this is also a spicy all-wheel-drive version, while the Paceman in simple words is a coupe version of the Countryman model.

Built on the Countryman platform, the Paceman is 4,109 mm (4,115mm for MINI Cooper S Paceman and Cooper SD Paceman), which makes it almost identical in size to its sibling. The Paceman will come with a choice of four engines; two petrol and two diesels.  The petrol variant will have a 1.6-litre 122bhp unit.  In the spruced version, The MINI Cooper S Paceman, it is the same engine but producing an output of 184bhp.

For those who prefer diesel, the MINI Cooper D Paceman uses a 1.6-litre 112bhp turbocharged engine. The flagship diesel is the MINI Cooper SD Paceman that gets a 2.0-litre 143bhp engine. All the variants come with a six-speed manual gearbox, or an optional six-speed automatic with Steptronic function for manual control.

Inside, the car has been custom designed and is a strict four-seater, but with foldable rear-seats boot capacity can be increased from 330 litres to 1080 litres. The Paceman has been fitted with all creature comfort options found in the regular versions of the luxury sub-compact SUV.

While the Paceman is expected to cater to demanding style, comfort and performance those demanding a ‘blow my brains out’ experience can consider the John Cooper Works GP.

The MINI John Cooper Works GP is the latest incarnation of a racing heritage that dates back more than 50 years. Powered by a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine that churns out 218bhp and 260nm of torque, the Mini will reach 100kmph in just 6.3 seconds pushing it to a top speed of 243kmph. The car has been fitted 17 inch four spoke alloy wheels, a big rear spoiler and a grey and red paint scheme to stay in tune with the heritage of the original GP.

While the Paceman will go sale from March 2013, the John Cooper Works GP will be limited to 2000 models and will go into production later this year.