Rumored Mini coupe to be dubbed Broadspeed?
Those folks concerned with All Things Mini over at Motoringfile have some more salacious gossip regarding the rumored coupe and speedster variants. A conceptual version of the fixed-head sportster is expected at the Frankfurt Motor Show this autumn, and according to the website, the model will carry the moniker 'Broadspeed Coupe.' (Quick history lesson: A team by the name of Broadspeed raced Mini Coopers back in the 1960's, and they even went so far as to produce a racier coupe version of the of the Mark 1 1275 S (shown above).
Regardless of what they end up being called, the Mini coupe and speedster are expected to be based on the current model – reportedly making them the last such iterations to be based on the R57 platform. An earlier report pegged the coupe model as being available exclusively in hardcore John Cooper Works spec, but now Motoringfile suggests that due to economic and regulatory pressures, both cars will likely be offered as complete families, with standard Cooper, Cooper S, and JCW flavors.
[Source: Motoringfile | Image: Racemini.nl]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
ack154 9:19AM (7/20/2009)
Count me interested! I want to see it.
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James 11:26AM (7/20/2009)
@ Chris,
Isn't the Mini body style already considered a coupe?...
I think you meant...a Mini "Broadspeed Fastback".
GOT 10:56PM (7/20/2009)
A fastback Mini? Cool, I'm very interested as well!
John P. 9:37AM (7/20/2009)
Broadspeed, hmmmmm. Is that sorta like a Fast Woman?
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RamblinReck89 9:40AM (7/20/2009)
I'm actually a lot more interested than I thought I'd be. I'll be even more interested if they can get it to do 60 in the high 5s.
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RamblinReck89 9:46AM (7/20/2009)
Autoblog! Quit not displaying my comments!
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RamblinReck89 9:46AM (7/20/2009)
Oh, wait, there it is. Please ignore this comment.
Xistence? 9:47AM (7/20/2009)
I say Mini should underpin the coupe with the 1 series platform, how awesome would that be. A compact rear drive mini coupe, look out Hyundai Genesis!
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Mike7 10:48AM (7/20/2009)
As awesome as that would be, FWD is kind of a MINI thing, like RWD is kind of BMW thing. An AWD MINI however...
hoosker_doo 12:45PM (7/20/2009)
@Xistence?
Hell yes. I'd dig on some rwd/awd action from Mini but sadly Mike7 has a point.
Patliean1 9:54AM (7/20/2009)
...I'm still trying to figure out what that guy in the background is doing with those two women.
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Some Stuff 4:41PM (7/20/2009)
Me too. Much more interesting than Mini's coupaay.
gerbick 5:46PM (7/20/2009)
Okay, it's not just me that centered in on that background. What is going on for real!?
Rich 10:09AM (7/20/2009)
Proofreader alert: "Broadspeed GT Coupe", pronounced "coo-pay", not something you put chickens in.
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ack154 10:29AM (7/20/2009)
How is that a proofreading issue? Are they not spelled the same?
More of a dialect thing than anything else, I would think.
BoxerFanatic 11:41AM (7/20/2009)
No, a chicken pen is called a coup.
A coupe is a smaller carriage or car, with two side doors, and as a contrast to a cabriolet, usually has a fixed roof.
Whether you accentuate the é on the end depends on how frenchy-french you want to sound like. With or without the accent is acceptable pronunciation.
BTW, what does a fastback benefit when the front of the car is still as vertical as a barn door? Small, albeit, but for it's size, quite blunt.
Rich 2:33PM (7/20/2009)
You guys aren't very good at reading, are you? Why would pronunciation ever be proofreading issue? Did you miss the "GT" bit? The original car was called a "Broadspeed GT Coupe"; not simply "Broadspeed Coupe".
As for the pronunciation, it is not by any means a dialect issue. It's a product name. A British product would be pronounced the British way. Mr. Broad of Broadspeed was English, not American, so, "coo-pay" it is.
velocity321 1:09PM (7/20/2009)
Actually, a chicken holding area is a coop.
A well executed strategy or takeover of power is a coup.
A 2 door car is a coupe.
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unni 2:51PM (7/20/2009)
Check http://www.hmambassador.com/default.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindustan_Ambassador
You can still buy them :-) brand new.
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Jeff 3:32PM (7/20/2009)
Ah, good, make the Mini less practical. That's what Mini customers want.
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