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Mini says goodbye to Coupe and Roadster

Mini has tried a variety of body-styles in recent years, and while some of them have been successful, others have not – most especially its two-door models. Aside from the standard Hardtop (which is now available with an extra set of doors), the Clubman (which is also getting extra apertures in its next iteration) and the Paceman (which isn't expected to make it another generation), the Coupe and Roadster models have been particularly slow sellers for the brand. So after much speculation on their future, Mini is now officially showing both two-doors the door. Although the manufacturer has't said exactly when production of the two will cease at the plant in Oxford, UK, it has confirmed that "The two individual two-seater athletes Mini Coupe and Mini Roadster will finish their career together and as planned." In their place, Mini is said to be working to put the Superleggera Vision concept into production. Just when that may come to pass, or if it might breed a fixed-roof version to take the coupe's place, remain to be seen. But for now, you'll need to get your Mini with three doors or more. Related Video: THE MINI COUPE AND THE MINI ROADSTER: TWO ATHLETES TURN INTO THE FINAL STRAIGHT British premium automobile manufacturer continues the change of generation in its model program - production of both two-seater models at MINI Plant Oxford is about to end as planned. Munich, Germany, February 11, 2015. Changeover at MINI Plant Oxford: while worldwide demand for the new MINI 3 door and the new MINI 5 door launched a few months ago increases continuously, production of two model variants from the preceding generation of the original in the premium small car segment is about to come to an end. The two individual two-seater athletes MINI Coupe and MINI Roadster will finish their career together and as planned. In taking this step, the British premium car manufacturer continues the change of generation in its model program and in terms of vehicle production at the Oxford plant. The new MINI 5 door is now produced there in seven engine variants, as is the new MINI 3 door. The MINI Coupe was originally launched in the "Green Hell": the new model saw its world premiere at the 24-hour race on the Nurburgring Nordschleife immediately before its appearance at the Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA) in 2011.

Mini JCW Convertible spied looking cold

The Mini Convertible John Cooper Works has stripped off almost all of the camo it was wearing when we last saw it a few months back. There's not much left to the imagination anymore, and all that remains are some swirls to hide a little of the hood and rear. As expected, the entire front end, rear bumper, central exhausts and subtly flared wheel arches come directly from the JCW take on the two-door Hardtop. Except for the Convertible's repositioned antenna and lowering top, the two models are essentially the same on the outside. With the standard, third-gen Mini droptop not actually unveiled yet, all of the camouflage at the back is likely there to hide the way the roof folds down. Under the hood, expect the latest JCW 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder producing 228 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque with a choice of six-speed manual or automatic gearboxes. Of course, the Convertible also adds the thrill of tipping the throttle with the top down. Mini hasn't hinted at a reveal date for the latest Convertible yet. However, these shots suggest development is at a fairly advanced state, so an official debut is likely not too far off. Related Video:

Mini Clubman to get the 'Works,' four-door Hardtop not so much

Performance sub-brands are expanding faster than leftover marshmallow Peeps in a microwave. And Mini's John Cooper Works line is not likely to be an exception. Mini's stand at the New York Auto Show was somewhat low-key, with the debut of the Clubman All4 all-wheel-drive variant on one end and the expected John Cooper Works Convertible on the other. And for the foreseeable future, the Mini lineup will change through redesigns of existing models and the introduction of more derivatives – like a John Cooper Works version of the new Clubman. At least that's what some of Mini's product guys indicated. "The Works is always our top model. John Cooper Works is not just limited to small cars, it's also for compact cars," said Ralph Mahler, Mini's head product manager, in an interview with Autoblog at the New York Auto Show. "Therefore, I wouldn't see anything against bringing the Works to the Clubman. I think it would be a perfect match." Though one was offered in the last generation, a Works model may seem at odds with the new Clubman's mission, as the company has spent considerable effort pitching it as the grown-up Mini, something to rival premium-branded compacts. Yet Mahler sees a possible Works Clubman as the ultimate in the lineup and an exclusive model, especially since he said take rate for the rest of the Works Minis is around 5 percent. Patrick McKenna, Head of Product Planning at Mini USA, said that since the Clubman went on sale early this year, ordering has included mostly highly optioned models, and customers are notably cross-shopping the Audi A3. Loaded up, a Clubman Cooper S All4 pushes past the $45,000 mark. Currently, the most powerful Cooper S produces 189 horsepower from its 2.0-liter turbo four. That's more power than a front-drive A3 1.8T, but less than the A3 2.0T Quattro – and way less than a cheaper Volkswagen Golf GTI. Consider that the engine in the just-released John Cooper Works Convertible produces 30 more horses than the one in the Cooper S and a Works Clubman starts to make more sense. Strangely, the four-door Mini Hardtop, released last year, doesn't appear to be destined for the Works treatment. McKenna said the four-door will continue to offer special appearance packages that offer Works-like touches and offer dealer-installed accessories such as exhausts and horsepower increases.