Verdict
The two-seater MINI Coupe is the flagship of the MINI range and the John Cooper Works (JCW) version is the flagship MINI Model. Put the two together and you've got the most exclusive - and fastest - MINI on the market.

Expert rating: 3.6

Pros
• Fastest MINI ever
• More boot space than any MINI bar the Clubman
• Great fun to drive

Cons
• Two-seater
• Challenging looks
• Noisy at speed

1. Exterior: 5/5
Ever since the original MINI Hatch was reinvented, each new design has split the critics, while attracting plenty of buyers. Step forward the MINI Coupe, with its backwards-baseball cap profile, less steeply-raked windscreen and spoiler delivering a more aerodynamic car designed to provide the halo for the MINI range. It's a little lower than a MINI Hatch too.

2. Interior: 4/5
Huge speedo, chrome toggle switches and steering wheel-mounted controls will all sound very familiar to MINI fans. A little like the exterior, it comes down to personal taste. The main thing you will notice is the absence of two rear seats which brings us nicely on to…

3. Practicality: 2/5
The MINI Coupe has no rear seats, but the boot is more useable as a result. The 280-litre space is easily accessed and able to cope with two people's luggage for a weekend away. That luggage space can also be accessed via a hatch from the cabin.

4.Ride and handling: 3/5
The MINI Hatch already offers a superb driving experience and the Coupe's improved suspension makes things even better. The steering takes a while to get used to, while the optional sports or JCW suspension toughens things up further. MINI is keen to endorse the Coupe as an everyday car but if your everyday includes motorway slogs and all but the smoothest surfaces, things are likely to get noisy and bumpy.

5. Performance: 4/5
The Coupe JCW offers the punchiest and fastest performance of any MINI with its 0-62mph time of 6.4 seconds and 149mph top speed, courtesy of a 208bhp, 192lb/ft 1.6-litre turbocharged engine. Motorway driving could leave you hankering for gearing and with so much power, the JCW can be unruly over poor road surfaces. All other versions have an automatic gearbox option. The same 1.6-litre petrol engine is in the 143mph Cooper S, which packs 181bhp and 177lb/ft, giving 0-62mph in 6.9 seconds. The non-turbo 1.6-litre engine powers the entry level Cooper to a nine-second 0-62mph time and top speed of 127mph while the diesel Cooper SD offers a 7.9-second 0-62mph time and 134mph top speed.

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6. Running costs: 3/5
On German derestricted Autobahns we failed to match the JCW's claimed 39.8 average; we got around 35mpg, and managed 50mpg with more reserved driving. The two other petrol alternatives sit either side of the 50mpg mark, while the diesel gives a claimed 65.7mpg, plus CO2 emissions of 114g/km; the three petrols range from 127g/km to 165g/km. MINIs aren't cheap and accessories can be costly, but they hold their value well.

7. Reliability: 4/5
MINI owners seem to get on well with their cars with the manufacturer voted fifth in the JD Power Survey 2011; the car we drove seemed up to the carmaker's usual high standards.

8. Safety: 3/5
There are four airbags and a host of safety equipment under the Dynamic Stability Control system umbrella to help make sure they won't be needed. This includes Anti-lock braking, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Cornering Brake Control, Brake Assist and Hill Start Assist. Dynamic Traction Control and Electronic Differential Lock Control are standard on the JCW and optional on the rest of the range.

9. Equipment: 3/5
The entry-level Cooper comes with 15-inch alloy wheels, Park Distance Control with rear sensors, air-con, electrically adjustable heated exterior mirrors, DAB digital radio and the MINI Radio Boost CD audio system. It's easy to choose multiple expensive options without really trying. The Chili Pack and Media Pack added another £2,500 to the price of our test car with highlights including sat-nav, full Bluetooth, automatic air-con Bi-Xenon headlights and sports suspension.

10.Why buy? 5/5
Few of the individual sections of our road test make a really compelling case for buying the MINI Coupe, but MINIs are special, and this is the most special of the lot. It turns the most heads and it goes the fastest, and if that's all you need to know this is probably the MINI for you.