All About Japan Autos

This year’s Detroit Auto Show is on track to have a record number of new concept and car debuts. Mini has entered the fray with their new Mini Cooper Paceman concept.

Check out a slideshow of Mini Paceman photos.

Kicking Tires writes, “Just in time for the holidays, Mini is treating its fan(atics) to an early look at the concept it will roll out at the upcoming Detroit auto show in early January. Called the Paceman — perhaps the worst concept name I can recall — this concept shows what a two-door version of the new Countryman SUV would look like.”

“Its basic shape is generally derivative of the MINI Cooper, although it features a unique roofline and a number of styling changes to the front and rear fascias,” says Left Lane News. “Its front grille is shared with the Countryman aside from a pair of extra air intakes that help cool upsized brakes. From the side, its features a unique side marker lamp arrangement as well as the Countryman’s flared wheel arches and 19-inch alloy wheels. Dimensionally, its proportions look to mirror the Cooper, but the Paceman is actually slightly longer than the Countryman.”

Autoblog reports that, “Taking a page out of its parent company’s BMW’s playbook, Mini calls the Paceman a ‘Sports Activity Coupe‘ (sort of like the BMW X6) and insists it’s the first of its kind in the small premium segment. A ’first‘ is pretty easy to achieve when you define the category yourself, but to our eyes the Paceman, with its sloping white roof, looks set to take on the likes of the three-door Range Rover Evoque, only smaller.”

Taking the rear doors of the Countryman is an interesting move. When the Countryman debuted, Mini said it created the car to appeal to small families. Without the rear doors, the Paceman is certainly stylish, but a lot less family friendly — like Mini’s other models. If the Paceman is produced, it should appeal to singles and couples who want Mini styling and performance, as well as all-wheel drive.

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