With its racing stripes and slicked-back windscreen and roof, the new MINI Coupé looks like it was born to race.

Certainly the Coupé the first production two-seater MINI has ever built looks unlike any of the iconic brand’s forerunners and it’s as much fun to drive as it looks.

The cut-down roof makes the Coupé just over an inch shorter than the MINI Cooper and the lower driver position accentuates that race karting-feel, handling and agility that MINI fans love. Taller drivers will appreciate the sculpted out areas in the roof to create extra headroom.

The fastback roof creates an aerodynamic lift at high speeds, so to compensate a cool retractable rear spoiler pops up at 50 mph and retracts at about 37. (Note to Police the spoiler can also be operated manually via switch in the roof, so that MINI Coupé driver that just cruised by might just be showing off rather than speeding!)

With just two seats, there’s a little more legroom for driver and passenger while the rear seat area has been carved out to create 9.8 cubic feet of cargo room in the trunk, significantly more than the 5.7 space available in the standard MINI Cooper and surprisingly roomy for a two-seater sports car. There’s also a handy storage area behind the seats and a drop-down panel through which you can load items in the trunk.

Beneath the trunk floor there is an additional compartment and among the many optional extras is a 12-volt power socket for charging electronic devices.

Under the hood, the 1.6 liter engine is the same as the MINI Cooper and the dashboard features the familiar large dials and rocker control switches close to hand.

Standard features on the basic model include non-metallic paint, cloth seats, automatic transmission, air conditioning, rear parking sensor, radio/ CD player, six airbags, 3-point seat belts, and anti-lock braking system

Optional extras are numerous, enabling you to create a bespoke and distinctive MINI. Choose from metallic paint, a wide range of leather and cloth upholstery, sport seats, Bluetooth hands free phone operation, Dynamic Traction Control, multifunction steering wheel, colour options, selection of alloy wheels, and additional headlights.

And for those who prefer a two-seater convertible rather than a hardtop, another new MINI the soft-top Roadster will be arriving later this year.

Ultimate Motors offers a two-year warranty with free first service on all MINI cars.

The Class C MINI Coupé is available from Ultimate Motors, Church Street, Hamilton. Call 292-0893 for pricing. Visit www.bermudamotors.bm/cars/mini for more details.