Hot on the heels of MINI’s Coupe release is the announcement of the 2012 MINI Roadster and the various versions it’ll be offered in. The new MINI Roadster will be the company’s first manually-opening drop-top two-seater and will be North American showrooms in mid-2012. Compared to the MINI Cooper Cabriolet, the MINI Roadster will be 0.1-inch shorter, 1.9-inches narrower and 1-inch lower.
Standard to the Roadster will be electric power steering and Dynamic Stability Control while Dynamic Traction Control with Electronic Differential Lock Control will be optional. Roll-over bars in polished stainless steel and a rear spoiler that automatically extends at 50-mph further adds to the Roadster’s sportiness.
The 2012 MINI Roadster will be available in four different models: John Cooper Works Roadster, Cooper S Roadster, Cooper Roadster and Mini Cooper SD Roadster (sorry, no diesel roadsters for North America). Both the John Cooper Works and Cooper S variants will be powered by a 1.6L four-cylinder with MINI TwinPower Turbo technology with the JCW model pushing 211-hp and 192 lb-ft of torque while the Cooper S packs 184-hp and 177 lb-ft of torque. The standard Cooper will feature a 1.6L four-cylinder with 122-hp and 118 lb-ft of torque. Last but not least, the SD will be powered by a 2.0L four-cylinder turbodiesel with Mini TwinPower Turbo technology making 143-hp and 255 lb-ft of torque.
