When the BMW X6 was introduced there was no one clamoring for a less functional, sportier version of the X5. Yet sales followed at a pace that made BMW look like geniuses, and other automakers took note. Now MINI has introduced its own crossover coupe in the MINI Paceman. Is the Paceman another answer to a question no one was asking? Or is it another brilliant move?

This was the question I kept asking myself from behind the wheel of the Paceman, and I got my answer. It came around mid-day, climbing into the Spanish mountains with the Mediterranean in full view. Corner after corner, our Cooper S test car made the case that the Countryman never quite proved — that a 3,000 lbs crossover has a right to wear the MINI badge.

Many cars that look better in person than in photos. Count the Paceman among them. The Paceman has wider rear flanks than the Countryman, and is simply more voluptuous in person. The 3/4 rear view looked rather dramatic the first time I saw it. I immediately got the sense that the Paceman was a bit of a playground for the MINI Design team. The rear lights are turned horizontal, which helps visually lengthen the car. They have a jeweled quality that looks all the more impressive lit up. Add to that the subtle creases and curves of the body lines and we have a MINI that looks sculpted in a decidedly modern way.

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