MINI Coupe

MINI Coupe: which version to buy (2011–2015)

The MINI Coupe was sold in one generation (June 2011–September 2015) as a Mini 3-doors with 8 versions, all FWD. There is no second generation to “wait for,” so the choice is which powertrain to live with: naturally aspirated 1.6 gasoline, turbo 1.6 gasoline at 184 hp or 211 hp, or turbo 2.0 diesel. All gearboxes in the data are 6-speed Manual or Automatic.

The MINI Coupe was sold in one generation (June 2011–September 2015) as a Mini 3-doors with 8 versions, all FWD. There is no second generation to “wait for,” so the choice is which powertrain to live with: naturally aspirated 1.6 gasoline, turbo 1.6 gasoline at 184 hp or 211 hp, or turbo 2.0 diesel. All gearboxes in the data are 6-speed Manual or Automatic. Ground clearance is 139 mm and the tank is 40 L on every version that lists those figures.

Generations: one cycle, eight versions

1 generation (2011-06-01 to 2015-09-30), body Mini 3-doors, 8 versions. Restyling is not listed as a separate generation. Every modification in the data shares those dates, so a later Coupe in this catalogue is not a newer generation — it is the same generation with a different engine/gearbox pairing.

Engines and specs

Use the names exactly as in the database. Three rows are all called 1.6 MT and three are all called 1.6 AT; they are not the same car. Distinguish them by horsepower.

Engine position is Front, transverse on every version that lists it; for 2.0 AT that field is not measured. Fueling is Distributed injection (multi-point) on the gasoline 1.6 rows and Direct injection (direct) on 2.0 MT; 2.0 AT injection is not measured. Compression ratio is 11 on both 122 hp 1.6 versions and 10.5 on both 184 hp 1.6 versions; it is not measured on 211 hp 1.6 and both diesels. Bore × stroke is 77 × 85.8 on the 122 hp and 184 hp 1.6 engines; not measured on 211 hp and both 2.0 diesels. Gasoline versions list fuel 95; diesels list Diesel.

Power per litre (hp ÷ displacement in litres): 122 hp / 1.598 L = 76.3 hp/L; 184 hp / 1.598 L = 115.1 hp/L; 211 hp / 1.598 L = 132.0 hp/L; 143 hp / 1.995 L = 71.7 hp/L. The diesel is the least specific; the 211 hp 1.6 is the most specific — 73% more hp/L than the 122 hp 1.6 ((211−122)/122).

Performance and economy (0–100, top speed, mpg-style L/100 km)

Manual vs Automatic on the same engine

• 1.6 122 hp: Manual is 1.3 s quicker to 100 (9.0 vs 10.3), 6 km/h faster (204 vs 198), and uses 1.0 L/100 km less combined (5.4 vs 6.4). City gap is 1.8 L/100 km (6.9 vs 8.7). CO2 is 23 g/km lower on the Manual (127 vs 150).
• 1.6 184 hp: Manual is 0.2 s quicker (6.9 vs 7.1) and 6 km/h faster (230 vs 224). Combined use is 0.6 L/100 km lower (5.8 vs 6.4); city is 1.6 L/100 km lower (7.3 vs 8.9); highway is the same 5.0.
• 2.0 diesel 143 hp: Manual is 0.3 s quicker (7.9 vs 8.2) and 10 km/h faster (216 vs 206). Combined is 1.0 L/100 km lower (4.3 vs 5.3); city 1.8 lower (5.1 vs 6.9). The Manual also has 41 Nm more peak torque (346 vs 305) at the same 1750–2700 rpm window.

Gasoline ladder (measured Manuals)

From 1.6 MT 122 hp to 1.6 MT 184 hp: +62 hp, +80 Nm, −2.1 s to 100, +26 km/h, combined +0.4 L/100 km. From 184 hp Manual to 211 hp Manual: +27 hp, +20 Nm, −0.5 s, +10 km/h, combined +1.3 L/100 km (5.8 to 7.1). The last 27 hp costs more fuel than the jump from 122 to 184 did.

Diesel vs gasoline at similar sprint

2.0 MT (7.9 s, 216 km/h) sits between the 122 hp Manual (9.0 s) and the 184 hp Manual (6.9 s). Combined 4.3 L/100 km is 1.1 below the 122 hp Manual and 1.5 below the 184 hp Manual. Torque is the diesel’s argument: 346 Nm vs 160 Nm (+186) on the 122 hp 1.6, and vs 240 Nm (+106) on the 184 hp 1.6. Peak diesel torque starts at 1750 rpm; the 122 hp gasoline peaks at 4250.

1.6 AT (211 hp) has not measured 0–100, top speed, and all three consumption figures. Do not treat it as “the same as the 211 hp Manual” for those numbers.

Dimensions, weight, tank, wheels

Clearance is 139 mm on all eight versions. Tank is 40 L on all eight.

Payload where both masses exist: 122 hp Manual 290 kg (1380−1090); 122 hp Automatic 290 kg; 184 hp Manual 290 kg; 184 hp Automatic 290 kg; 211 hp Manual 290 kg; 2.0 MT 290 kg. Gross for 2.0 AT and both masses for 1.6 AT (211 hp) are not measured.

The lightest car is 1.6 MT (122 hp) at 1090 kg. The heaviest measured kerb is 2.0 AT at 1195 kg (+105 kg). 184 hp and 211 hp Manuals share 1165 / 1455 kg — the extra 27 hp does not add listed mass.

Front suspension is Independent, spring on all eight. Rear Independent, spring is listed on seven versions; 2.0 AT rear suspension is not measured. Front brakes Ventilated disc on all eight. Rear Disc (data label Disc) on seven; 2.0 AT rear brakes not measured.

Wheel sizes appear only on 1.6 AT (122 hp) and 2.0 MT: 175/65 R15, 195/55 R16, 205/45 R17. Other versions: wheels not measured.

Which version to choose

There is only 1 generation, so “which year” does not change body type or version count. The arithmetic is which engine and which 6-speed box.

Choose 1.6 MT (122 hp) if you want the lightest, cheapest-to-run gasoline Coupe with full figures. 1090 kg, 8.93 kg/hp, combined 5.4 L/100 km, CO2 127 (the only other CO2 in the set is 150 on the 122 hp Automatic). You give up 62–89 hp versus the turbos and 2.1–2.6 s versus the 184/211 hp Manuals. Fuel 95, no turbo, compression 11.

Do not choose 1.6 AT (122 hp) unless you need Automatic. Same 122 hp / 160 Nm, but +45 kg, +1.3 s, −6 km/h, +1.0 L/100 km combined, +23 g/km CO2. It is the slowest measured Coupe (10.3 s, 198 km/h) and the thirstiest 122 hp pairing. It does list the three wheel sizes.

Choose 1.6 MT (184 hp) if you want the best measured trade of speed vs fuel among gasoline turbos. 6.9 s, 230 km/h, combined 5.8 — only 0.4 above the 122 hp Manual for +62 hp and −2.1 s. 6.33 kg/hp. Torque band 1600–5000 rpm is wider than the 122 hp peak at 4250. Compression 10.5, still 95, still multi-point, still Front, transverse.

1.6 AT (184 hp) is the Automatic of that engine: +25 kg vs the 184 hp Manual, +0.2 s, −6 km/h, +0.6 combined. Highway stays 5.0. Gross 1480 kg is the highest measured in the table.

Choose 1.6 MT (211 hp) only if the last 0.5 s and 10 km/h matter. Same 1165 / 1455 kg as the 184 hp Manual, so 5.52 kg/hp is the best ratio in the catalogue. Combined 7.1 is 1.3 above the 184 hp Manual and 1.7 above the 122 hp Manual — the steepest fuel step on the gasoline ladder. Peak torque 260 Nm is 20 Nm above 184 hp.

Skip 1.6 AT (211 hp) if you need a complete spec sheet. Power and torque match the 211 hp Manual, but 0–100, top speed, consumption, kerb, and gross are all not measured. You cannot rank it on economy or weight from this data.

Choose 2.0 MT if the question is range and mid-range pull, not peak hp. 143 hp is only 21 hp above the 122 hp gasoline, but 346 Nm is more than double 160 Nm and 106 Nm above 184 hp. Combined 4.3 is the lowest in the set — 1.1 below 1.6 MT (122 hp) and 2.8 below 1.6 MT (211 hp). 7.9 s and 216 km/h beat the 122 hp Manual and sit 1.0 s / 14 km/h behind the 184 hp Manual. Kerb 1175 kg is 85 kg above the lightest gasoline. Wheels are listed (same three sizes as 1.6 AT 122 hp). Fuel is Diesel.

2.0 AT is the Automatic diesel: −41 Nm vs 2.0 MT, +0.3 s, −10 km/h, +1.0 combined, +20 kg. Gross, engine position, injection, rear suspension, rear brakes, and wheels are not measured. If you want diesel and Automatic, this is the only such row — buy it knowing several chassis/engine fields are empty.

Short ranking from the numbers

1. Daily gasoline, full data, lowest mass: 1.6 MT (122 hp). 2. Daily gasoline that still sprints: 1.6 MT (184 hp) — smallest fuel penalty for a large speed gain. 3. Lowest L/100 km and highest Nm: 2.0 MT. 4. Maximum measured speed: 1.6 MT (211 hp) at 240 km/h / 6.4 s. 5. Automatic with complete performance: 1.6 AT (184 hp) or 2.0 AT (diesel); avoid 1.6 AT (122 hp) for pace and 1.6 AT (211 hp) for missing figures.

All eight are FWD, Mini 3-doors, 40 L tank, 139 mm clearance. No AWD, no extra generation, and no prices in this dataset — the “extra money” question can only be answered as extra horsepower, extra seconds, extra litres, and extra kilograms as listed above.