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Mini boss contradicts reports on production Superleggera, says Minor unlikely

Mini has added to our green-beer-induced hangover with some disappointing news. The Mini Superleggera Vision Concept is not quite as confirmed as we had been led to believe. And making matters worse, the same high-ranking source that put the kibosh on confirmation of the stylish two-seater said he "doesn't see" a mini Mini. Mini boss Peter Schwarzenbauer contradicted yesterday's report in an interview with Automotive News, although he certainly doesn't oppose the idea of the Superleggera Vision. "I cannot confirm that it has been approved yet," Schwarzenbauer told AN, adding that it'd be a "great addition to the Mini range" and that he's "still pushing" for it to arrive in dealerships. That's good news for fans of yesterday's report. Schwarzenbauer is less of a fan of a small, entry-level mini Mini, based on the Rocketman Concept. "I don't see a smaller car than the current one," the exec said. It's long been rumored that Mini was readying a smaller, budget model that was more in line with the original Austin and Morris Minis, rather than the premium sub-compact model that BMW has been selling for the past 13 years. The company has even, allegedly, been in cahoots with Toyota to develop the new compact model. We reported as recently as January that the Anglo-Teutonic outfit and its Japanese partners would develop an entirely new platform for the Minor, although that certainly doesn't seem to be the case now. How do you feel about this? Does Mini need to get back to its roots with the affordable, Rocketman-based Minor, or should it keep on doing what it's doing? What about the Superleggera Vision Concept? Should Mini add it as a successor to the short-lived Roadster? Have your say in Comments. Related Video:

Why the 2020 Mini John Cooper Works GP doesn't have a manual

LOS ANGELES — The 2020 Mini John Cooper Works GP is an interesting machine. While it shares a lot in common with its predecessors, such as the big rear wing, no rear seat, four-spoke wheels and other aggressive design cues, it has a number of distinct differences. In particular, it has a massive amount of power relative to old models, and it doesn't have a manual transmission. This all left us with some questions that we brought to some Mini representatives. We'll start with the big one: "Where's our manual?" The representatives said a lot about how manual take rates are declining, and the smooth, quick-shifting automatic transmission fits a track-oriented car. But they also eventually admitted that they don't have a manual transmission available that would be strong enough to handle the turbo 2.0-liter engine's 301 horsepower and prodigious 332 pound-feet of torque. On the other hand, the engine, which is also used in the John Cooper Works Countryman, Clubman, and small BMWs, already has an automatic developed. And obviously, the company didn't feel it was worth it to develop a stronger gearbox for a run of just 3,000 cars. At the very least, having experienced Mini automatics in the past, they are good, and to make the experience a little more engaging, Mini has custom 3D-printed aluminum alloy shift paddles for the GP that do feel good. Another thing we were curious about was the disappearance of the Nurburgring lap time from the dashboard. Spy shots showed a time of 7:56.69 on a 3D-printed dash panel. The 3D-printed dashboard remains, but it will now have each model's production number instead. The display car uses 2020 as an example. The Mini representatives said that past customers cared more about which number of car they had, rather than a lap time. This is also in keeping with past GP models that all displayed their production numbers somewhere in the interior. The new GP's most striking features, though, are its carbon fiber fender flares. They serve a couple of purposes, such as accommodating the car's wider track and tires. According to one of the representatives, they also help direct airflow and reduce drag, but she didn't say by how much. Then there's the appearance, which is unusual at the least, looking almost like vertical wings, and it's inspired by the outrageous concept. Although they're made of carbon fiber, it's more of a molded style than the woven variety seen on many cars.

The electric Mini SE crushes its EPA range estimate in our real-world test

The range meter of my fully charged 2020 Mini Cooper SE reads 110 miles as I fasten my seatbelt, which is hardly a surprise because that number matches the official EPA-certified range of this all-new electric car. But then I turn on the climate control system, at which point the range prediction promptly falls to 103 miles. “Uh-oh. This could get interesting,” I say to myself. My range test course, you see, is a vast loop that measures about 105 miles around. I donÂ’t really think IÂ’ll end up walking, though. I remind myself that most electric cars IÂ’ve tested — the Porsche Taycan among them — routinely outperform their rated range. But “most” is the operative word in this train of thought, so I ease out of my driveway to begin the test under a tiny cloud of uncertainty. Will the Mini Cooper SE prove to be one of the outliers? Will I encounter any low battery warnings? All will become clear in the next three and half hours. None of my initial hand-wringing should be taken to mean the MiniÂ’s rated range of 110 miles is somehow insufficient. ItÂ’s not, in my view. The length of my course has no special meaning. It doesnÂ’t represent the “right” number of miles. How the test was run My loop in Orange County, Calif., represents what I call typical suburban city driving. ItÂ’s not as dense as the notorious gridlocked areas found in West Los Angeles or certain big-city downtown environs, so itÂ’s applicable to the vast majority of drivers. It features suburban residential and arterial streets, with speed limits that range from 25 mph to as much as 60 mph. But thereÂ’s no pure freeway mileage, and the entire route is peppered with more than 310 signals. As for elevation, it ranges from sea level to just over 600 feet. I run with the automatic climate control system set within the range of 72 to 75 degrees, aiming to settle on one specific setting throughout that delivers adequate comfort. IÂ’ll try whatever Eco drive mode there is, but if throttle response is anemic IÂ’ll use the normal setting. Here, the default mode is the “green” mode, and IÂ’m sticking with it because the SEÂ’s driveability is totally agreeable. As for speed, IÂ’m running mid-pack between the leadfoots and the slowpokes. I wonÂ’t try to out-drag anyone leaving signals, and I look far enough ahead that I can choose the best lane and anticipate when the next signal is going to change. In short, IÂ’m aiming to land halfway between hypermiling and hyperactive.