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2020 Mini Cooper S E electric car's reveal date announced

Although we've pretty much seen the production 2020 Mini Cooper S E electric hatchback, we've been in the dark about when the car, and more importantly its specifications, will officially be revealed. But now the company says we'll see it on July 9, just a few weeks away. As you can see above, the car pulls many design cues from the Frankfurt concept such as the mostly filled-in grille with a yellow-green stripe and the nifty four-spoke wheels. Of course it's also clearly and closely based on the regular Mini Hardtop, and it even features the Mini Cooper S hood scoop. That's another indication that Mini intends for it to be comparable to a sporty gas-powered model. We're most anxious for confirmation on performance specifications. In our prototype drive, we learned that the motor is based on the one from the BMW i3S, so it should make about 181 horsepower, just 8 shy of the gas-powered Mini Cooper S. But the range estimate given during the prototype drive was a rather low 120 miles. That's actually a little less than the 150 miles of the prototype Mini E from about a decade ago. More finalized numbers should be available after the official reveal.

BMW sold 2.49 million BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce vehicles in 2018

FRANKFURT — German carmaker BMW on Tuesday said it achieved record sales of 2.49 million BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce vehicles last year. "BMW Group achieved record sales in 2018. 2.49 million vehicles mean the BMW Group is the world's leading premium automotive company for the 15th year running," Chief Executive Harald Krueger said. In 2017, BMW Group sold 2.46 million vehicles. Daimler has not yet released annual sales figures for Mercedes-Benz passenger cars, so it remains unclear whether BMW brand overtook Mercedes-Benz in terms of sales in 2018. Sales of BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce cars were higher than Mercedes-Benz in 2017.

2019 Mini Cooper gets updated, becomes even more British

For the 2019 model year, Mini is rolling out a slew of updates to its current two- and four-door hardtop models and the convertible. It's a very modest revision in most respects. From the front, the only real change is to the headlights. The LED running lights that encircle the main lighting element now illuminate in a full circle, and that full circle flashes amber to function as a turn signal. The sides are also virtually unchanged, but coming around to the back you'll find the most obvious change. No longer are the taillights simple rounded rectangles with circles inside. Now the lighting elements are fully LED and in the shape of the Union Jack, the British flag. It's executed well, but it's a little silly. What's next, a horn that plays "Rule, Britannia?" How about appending the initials "HMS" ahead of the Cooper name? We kid, but we do worry a little about Mini focusing too much on kitschy British references. View 14 Photos Other exterior updates include three new metallic colors called Emerald Gray, Starlight Blue, and Solaris Orange. They can be joined by the Piano Black package that swaps the chrome around the lights and grille for gloss black. The custom Mini Yours fender badges and lights that are made with 3D printing or laser engraving are also available. The interior is mostly unchanged. Bluetooth connectivity is now standard across the board, along with a 6.5-inch infotainment screen. There are new options, too. Both two- and four-door Mini hatches can be ordered with Malt Brown Chesterfield Leather. Like the exterior, the interior has a Piano Black trim option. It adds gloss black trim throughout, along with a panel on the passenger side with a Union Jack motif. That motif has transparent sections that light up in the same color as the driver-selectable interior lighting. An updated 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system and wireless phone charging are also options. Related Video: