I haven't actually seen a Coupe in person yet, will be heading to the dealer next week (2+ hour drive) and I'm wondering if anyone who has gone from an R53/R56 to the R58 misses not having a back seat? I throw stuff in the back of my R56 quite a lot. Besides the looks, what would the benefits be of an R58 over another R56?

 

I haven't taken delivery of my R58 yet, but I chose the car specifically for its lack of rear seats. I'm sick of being the one to drive everyone around and act as the taxi; this way, it's only me and one lucky co-pilot!

But, there is a small parcel shelf behind the seats, so if there's anything small that needs to be at hand, it can live there (snow brush, as my example).

 

#1 benifit of the R58 over the R56... It's not a R56.

Those darn things are a dime a dozen nowadays.

 

I had an R50. Used the backseat for passengers maybe 5 times in the 6 years I owned it. So, I don't expect I will miss the back seats. As was mentioned there is a little bit of room for "stuff" behind the seats. There's also a pass through to the boot as well. Of course you have more cargo space in the boot, albeit without quite as much height as you do when you just fold the seats down in a MINI hatch.

 

I'd tell you the coupe was lighter but it isn't.

I'd tell you it is faster but it isn't by any significant amount under ideal conditions and the S suffer in the real world from lack of a mechanical lsd.

I'd tell you it handles better based solely on the fact that it ought to with a lower center of gravity and BMW still seems to be getting handling right.

I'd buy one if the roof wasn't inspired by a baseball cap worn backwards by the designer's son.

I was looking forward to the roadster but it's apparently going to be slower to 60mph than all turbocharged MINIs except the ALL4.

 

I would miss the back seat, not for passengers, but for "stuff". This past week I had to move my office and I was able to fit a large industrial size hand truck, an upright vacuum cleaner and some boxes and things in the back with the rear seats lowered. It's also nice to be able to throw things like jackets and such back there. It will also come in very handy on a long weekend trip to Vegas or wherever. Honestly, when I sat in the coupe I felt a little confined and don't feel that way at all with the R56. I also had the opportunity to sit in the roadster when it was being sent around the dealers in SoCal and, with the top down, it felt more spacious, but I still like the idea of having some space behind the front seats. Just my opinion. We're all looking for different things in our MINI's so this is not a rap on the coupe at all. Some of us want even more space and opt for the Clubbie or CM, and I say, more power to us all. As for The OfficeMaven's comment about R56's that, "Those darn things are a dime a dozen nowadays." This is only true if you choose for your car to be one of the many stock cars out there (and there's nothing wrong with that because it's still a MINI and it's still different from the vast majority of cars on the road). I've got a somewhat uncommon color, custom designed stripes, blacked out trim, and an uncommon interior trim combination so I don't see my car as a "dime a dozen" car at all. In fact, I can't imagine that there's another car exactly like it out there.

 

Haven't had a need or miss for my backseat yet.. In fact I've enjoyed sticking small items in the little shelf that is behind the seats as it sits snugly in there as opposed to rolling around on back seats or off the seats.

I can understand why some will need back seats.. but if you really are to think about it THAT much then maybe you shouldn't get a two seater?


Some will need a backseat.. some won't. Figure out what you need and make your choice there and don't rely on the "Will I miss it some day?" question.

 

Frankly I have never understood the obsession so many folks have with this need for speed...as fast as possible. I have a Cooper Coupe. And it is very easy to make it go fast. You can still get into plenty of trouble with the law. :-) In real world driving it has more than enough power to get you where you need to go when you need to go there. If you are racing your car or taking it to the track I suppose you would want more. But how many of us do that?

It is good that MINI is building more cars to reach more customers now. Certainly the Coupe is very much a niche within a niche vehicle. I personally love the way it looks. And I don't feel claustrophobic...but I am a pretty small person. I could see where a tall person would feel a bit more closed in, especially with the way the roofline comes down over the sides.

I will also agree that it's fun to drive a unique vehicle. There are more Cooper HB's around here than you can shake a stick at.

 

I got the JCW, but the power is probably wasted on me, to be honest. I do like the looks, sound, and better brakes, though.

I DO NOT miss the back seats. I put small items on the shelf behind the seats (next to my MINI Bulldog Günther) and bigger things in the giant boot.

 

I use to have a 350z and didn't miss the back seat. With the R56 it's nice to have the ability to carry other people in the back seat when in a bind or just throw stuff back there. If I owned a coupe I wouldn't miss the back seat because I'd know what I got myself into, a 2 seater.

 

"Frankly I have never understood the obsession so many folks have with this need for speed."

I would think my userid was self-explanatory.

 

And this is how you know I am a Cabrio person...I looked at the boot/ storage area and thought it was HUGE! I rarely use my backseat. It's pointless for people and I dont want stuff flying out of it. I dont want to get in the habit of putting stuff in the backseat and then top-down weather happens and I lose something important. Sadly, I am dippy enough that I feel that is a possibility. So I am used to the very limited space of an R52 boot. I am very curious what the boot will look like in the Cabrio Coupe.

 

I love the car, don't miss the backseat in the least. I bought a two seater for a reason. If you buy this car and regret not having the backseat, we'll can you say pinhead?? It's the truth.

I too bought a JCW as JamesDay24 did. But the torque, power and speed is not lost on me. I use it daily. It really is a unique car and I hope it is for while. I have still only seen 1 other Coupe in 2.3 months of ownership. That's pretty cool.

 

I don't miss the back seat at all. Much of the time I drive alone back and forth to work. I pack a suitcase full of charts, supplies, and instruments in the boot when I go to my satellite office and everything fits perfectly. My staff was amazed that all our office stuff could fit! Occasionally my wife and I will go in the coupe somewhere, typically on our days off from work. Or I'll have to pick up one child from a sports practice or friends house. And both my 2 kids are to tall to sit in the back seat of a R53/R56 since we are a tall family. So the backseats would be useless for me as a family car.
The speed and torque is more then adequate for me and my current driving skills. I think it is a wonderful car to drive as well as admire. And it is quite unique!

 

I'm not missing my backseat whatsoever -- I no longer have to be the sober cab.

 

In 1987 I bought a Fiero GT primarily for the lack of back seats (and it was a blast to drive!). As someone above said, I got tired of being a taxi.