Mini Cooper S S on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Enter to win a 2020 Mini Cooper SE Electric and $10,000 cash

Autoblog may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability is subject to change. No donation or payment necessary to enter or win this sweepstakes. See official rules on Omaze. Enter to win this giveaway or any other Omaze experience between now and December 31, 2020, and receive 150 bonus entries with Autoblog’s exclusive code AUTOBLOG150. Simply add the discount at checkout. There are some incredible cars on Omaze, including Broncos and 911s converted to electric, Range Rover Sport SVRs that can hit 150 mph and ford a river (not at the same time of course), and camper vans that allow you to live wherever youÂ’d like. While it would be incredible to win any of those vehicles, it's probably best that you actually consider them dream cars. And that you have the extra garage space. By contrast, an electric Mini Cooper SE is a practical car you can drive day in and day out, while saving the dollars in your bank account for that project that really is your dream car. Win a 2020 MINI Cooper SE Electric and $10,000 - Enter at Omaze Plus, not only does this prize come with the car, it also comes with $10,000 cash to spend however youÂ’d like. I donÂ’t know about you but that would be a nice down payment on my dream rig (a 70 Series Land Cruiser if anyone is wondering). Taxes and shipping costs are also covered. And of course because itÂ’s on Omaze, your entries will go toward helping a great organization, specifically, Feeding America. “(It) is the nationÂ’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization. Their network of food banks, pantries and meal programs serve virtually every community in the United States, reaching 40 million people (including 12 million children and 7 million seniors). Feeding America works to get nourishing food — from farmers, manufacturers, and retailers — to people in need. They also seek to help the people they serve build a path to a brighter, food-secure future. Your generosity will help Feeding America continue to connect people with food and work to end hunger.” If youÂ’d like this two-door EV in your garage, enter this drawing quickly, as the deadline to enter is Nov. 17, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time. Enter to win this giveaway or any other Omaze experience between now and December 31, 2020, and receive 150 bonus entries with AutoblogÂ’s exclusive code AUTOBLOG150. Simply add the discount at checkout. MINI Commerce deals

Mini launches electric conversion program for classic models

Mini unveiled an electric version of one of its classic models at the 2018 New York Auto Show. While the project was billed as a one-off at the time, the BMW-owned company announced it will begin making the conversion available to customers through a program called Recharged. Details about what's involved in the build are few and far between, beyond the obvious: The engine and transmission (which form one unit on these cars), the exhaust system, and the fuel tank are removed to make space for an electric motor, a battery pack, and the required electronics. The drivetrain is rated at 120 horsepower, which is nearly twice the 63-horse output of the final Mini models built in 2000, but the battery seemingly adds a tremendous amount of weight because performance isn't as impressive as you might think. Mini pegs the 0-to-60-mph time at 9 seconds (around 5 seconds less than a 2000 car), and it quotes 100 miles of range — 14 less than the Cooper SE. Several subtle visual details set the Recharged apart from a regular Mini. Look closely and you'll spot the Cooper SE's logo on the hood, on the trunk lid, and on the center caps. Some of the cars pictured in Mini's gallery also feature this logo on the quarter panels. Inside, there's a new-look analog instrument cluster, which — to Mini's credit — keeps a relatively period-correct design. It includes a speedometer, a temperature gauge, a range gauge, and a gauge that tells drivers which gear they're in. Speaking of, there's no longer a need for owners to argue about the merits of "magic wand," remote-shift, and rod-change gearboxes: The Recharged is exclusively offered with an automatic. Luckily, Mini isn't completely discarding its heritage. It stresses that all of the changes made during the EV conversion are reversible, and that the drivetrain that's removed from the car is labeled and stored in case the owner chooses to make the car original again. Pricing for the conversion hasn't been announced yet. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Meet Vini, the V8-powered second-generation Mini Hardtop

There are several ways to extract horsepower from a Mini Hardtop, and most are far more straight-forward than squeezing a V8 engine under the clamshell hood. And yet, at the request of a client, England-based EDM Racing is well into the process of doubling the retro-styled hatchback's cylinder count while making it rear-wheel drive. Amusingly called Vini, the V8-powered Mini started life as a 2007 Cooper S. It had a little over 100,000 miles on its odometer when David Power, the managing director of suspension bushing expert Powerflex, instructed EDM Racing to prepare it for an improbable engine swap. As mechanics stripped it to the bare metal, Power sourced a 4.0-liter, 415-horsepower V8 and a matching seven-speed automatic transmission from an E92-generation BMW M3 and began figuring out how to make it fit into a city-friendly hatchback delivered new with a 172-horsepower, 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine. Installing the new drivetrain directly behind the front seats would have likely been the easiest solution from a packaging standpoint, but the team decided to keep the front-engined layout. The conversion consequently required chopping out significant chunks of the Hardtop's firewall and floor, so EDM Racing started by designing and welding in a roll cage to maintain the car's structural integrity. The firm then installed modified front and rear subframes from a Subaru Impreza to keep the four wheels in their original position, or as close to it as possible. Power stressed he wants Vini to look nearly stock, especially when it comes to its track width, meaning punching out the wheel arches Renault 5 Turbo-style was out of the question.  The V8 fits surprisingly well in the Mini's engine bay, and it keeps the car's weight distribution in check. Power originally considered using a Subaru-built flat-four or a straight-six from an earlier M3, but both would have put too much weight ahead of the front wheels. Installing the automatic transmission was more difficult, however. "Making it all work in an OEM fashion will be a challenge for sure, but no more so than the most galling part of the project so far: Chopping out a transmission tunnel wide enough to accept the Getrag. I was aware of the dangers associated with cutting too much away and removing integral strength from the shell in the process, hence why we tackled the job in set stages and with the cage [installed]," EDM Racing's Elliott Dunmore explained.