1960 Classic Mini Cooper Early Shell - Austin 850 - April 1960 on 2040-cars

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BMW Group announces an armada of EVs that includes the full Mini range

BMW plans to significantly increase the number of electric cars in its range during the 2020s. It outlined plans to launch several battery-powered models, including M cars, and transform Mini into an EV-only brand by 2030. In the medium-term future, the firm's lineup will include electric variants of the 5 Series, the 7 Series, and the X1, though they will likely be based on the next-generation cars, not on the models currently found in showrooms. They'll join the i4 — a 3 Series-sized sedan with a fastback-like design — and the iX crossover in the lineup. BMW hopes to have at least one electric model representing it in about 90% of its current market segments by 2023, and it realistically expects that EVs will account for approximately 50% of its global sales by 2030. Beyond 2025, the Munich-based firm will align its range with a new strategy it calls Neue Klasse, a name borrowed from a series of enthusiast-friendly sedans and coupes sold during the 1960s and the 1970s; the 2002 is arguably the best-known Neue Klasse model. Fast-forward to the 2020s, and the designation will denote cars built with a new IT and software architecture, powered by new-generation electric technology, and designed to be sustainable. EVs shaped by the Neue Klasse approach to design will be positioned in many market segments, ranging from mass-produced cars (like the 1 Series hatchback sold in Europe) to high-performance M models. Most will be powered exclusively by batteries, but some will be available with a hydrogen-electric powertrain. Highly automated driving technology will be available, too, though BMW stressed its EVs will be enjoyable to drive. Crucially, the firm plans to increase its annual revenue by offering configurable and bookable features available during a car's entire life cycle; think of this system as an a la carte menu for cars. If you buy a used 2027 5 Series in 2031, for example, you'll theoretically have the ability to configure it with many of the options and features you want even if it wasn't ordered new with them. Some might even be enabled for a pre-determined amount of time. You might not need heated seats if you live in Tucson, but you might want them for a weekend if you're going skiing. What about Mini? Confirming a wave of recent rumors, BMW-owned Mini will exclusively sell electric cars in less than a decade.

Mini celebrates its first Monte-Carlo victory with Paddy Hopkirk Edition

Mini's newest special-edition model is a tribute to a victory that was as unexpected as it was significant. Northern Irish pilot Paddy Hopkirk won the 1964 edition of the Monte-Carlo Rally in a Cooper S, impressively beating far more powerful cars, and the two-door 2021 Hardtop Cooper S Paddy Hopkirk Edition celebrates this victory. Fittingly, every Paddy Hopkirk Edition is finished in Chili Red with a white roof, a combination that echoes Hopkirk's 1964 model (pictured below). 37 decals on both doors create another visual link between 2020 and 1964. Mini also added 17-inch alloy wheels, black trim all around, and a white hood stripe that served as a blank canvas. Look closely: it features 33 EJB graphics (the winning car's registration number) and Hopkirk's signature.  His signature also appears on the hatch, on the sill plates, and on the right side of the dashboard. LED headlights, keyless entry, black interior trim, and a leather-wrapped three-spoke steering wheel come standard. There are no mechanical modifications, meaning the Paddy Hopkirk edition is powered by a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder that delivers 189 horsepower and 207 lb-ft of torque. It spins the front wheels via a six-speed manual transmission, though a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox is offered at an extra cost. Mini dealers across the United States will begin receiving the Cooper S Paddy Hopkirk Edition in November 2020. It's one of two special-edition models joining the range for 2021; the second is the heritage-laced Coral Red Edition. Pricing hasn't been released yet. "Production is planned for November and December of this year," said a Mini spokesperson, "with a very limited number expected for the U.S. market. Only a few hundred." Victorious past Sir Alec Issigonis envisioned the original Mini as a practical, budget-friendly alternative to bubble cars, not as a rally-dominating machine, but the pocket-sized four-seater quickly proved its mettle on the track. Accomplished engineer John Cooper built the first Mini Cooper in 1959, the year the standard model was released in England, though it was a one-off prototype. Bolstered by a ballooning aftermarket scene, even amateur enthusiasts experimented with ways to extract more power out of the small four-cylinder and fine-tune the car's handling. It took less than a decade for the Mini to become a force to reckon with at races on both sides of the Atlantic.

Honda engines and giant killing in the classic Mini Cooper

Electric Federal has taken a fresh look back at the enduring legacy of original Mini with a video interview with Heritage Garage's Graham Reid, one of the foremost experts on classic Minis. As Electric Federal points out, it's important to remember that the Mini did not start out as a performance car. It was built in response to the Suez Canal crisis of the mid-50s, which had a similar effect on British gas prices as OPEC did on American prices in the 1970s - rationing and rapid price jumps.
Through the years, Minis have grown from their budget roots to become seriously competent performance machines. As Reid says, a 150-horsepower Mini on the right track should have no problem outpacing a contemporary Porsche 911.
For some time now, classic Mini owners have been dropping Honda engines under the tiny hoods of their classics. With up to 250 horsepower pulling a car that tips the scales at barely 1,200 pounds, the upgraded Mini is "a real sleeper," Reid says. Interestingly, Reid doesn't mention another increasingly common swap in the Mini community - Suzuki Hayabusa-powered Coopers.