It’s been almost two years since the MINI Roadster concept was revealed at the 2009 Frankfurt auto show. Production is already gearing up and the Roadster is on track to debut in March or April 2012.

The soft-top Mini Roadster is expected to be extremely similar to the Coupe, with no changes to the chassis or engine lineup. Three versions will be offered: base coupe, midlevel S and top-level John Cooper Works performance edition. The Roadster will feature the same range of engines available in the standard Cooper line, including naturally aspirated and turbo 1.6-liter four-cylinders. It will remain front wheel drive and the suspension and handling is predicted to be more neutral, due to some of it’s weight being shifted to the rear for better distribution.

Since the specs are almost identical to the Cooper hatchback, the new Mini Coupe and Roadster should not require much modification of production setup at the company’s factory in Oxford, England.

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