Spy Shots: 2012 Mini Coupe nears production

The Mini Coupe is set to go on sale this Fall and that means testing of the hatchless Cooper has begun in earnest. Caught by our spies running around outside BMW headquarters in Germany, the 2012 Mini Coupe uses the Bavarians' standard psychedelic camo, but it wasn't able to hide a new retractable spoiler nestled within the trunk – something that wasn't fitted to concept shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009.

Power should come from Mini's entire range of naturally aspirated and turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder mills, although our spies contend that the prototype you see here is a Works model, evidenced by the upgraded brakes that barely fit inside the wheels and red calipers fore and aft. We suspect the production version will make an appearance in Frankfurt this autumn, with sales beginning in Europe and the U.S. before the end of the year.

[Source: CarPix]