2009 Mini Cooper S Works Aero Package Jcw, Low Miles, Garage Queen on 2040-cars

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This classic electric Mini costs $100,000, but just look at it

We all love the original Mini, so when a British company decided to develop an electric version of it using a restored original body, we took notice. Enter the Swind E Classic Mini. Electric cars are allowed to have a soul, and this one is just as cute as a Mini with a little gas motor. Swind, a UK-based tech and engineering company, didn't just produce a half-baked version of an electric Mini. The powertrain is a bespoke, in-house design developed by the company's own engineers. The body has contemporary corrosion protection to make sure it doesn't rot like an original from the 1960s. Also, new brake and suspension parts ensure it'll feel relatively modern to drive. Don't expect any mind-blowing specs and numbers from the little EV, though. It uses a 24 kWh lithium ion battery pack and the electric motor produces 110 horsepower. Zero to 60 mph is achieved in 9.2 seconds. That's not impressive on today's world, bu is still quicker than this Mini would have been with its original gas engine. Top speed is 80 mph, and range is rated at an impressive 125 miles. That's plenty for this little city runabout — road trips won't be this Mini's job anyway, especially if you have to run it near top speed just to keep up with traffic. Swind says it'll get to a full charge in four hours via its fast charging capability. Weight is kept to only 1,587 pounds, so this will be one of the lightest electric cars on the road. The benefits of modernizing and electrifying the Mini help out in other areas, too. You can check option boxes for an infotainment system with navigation. USB ports come standard, as do heated leather seats. Curiously, air conditioning is an option. If you prefer no power steering, that's possible; performance tuning packs are available, but there's no explanation for what that entails. There's more space in the boot for stuff with the gas tank removed, and weight distribution is improved at a 57/43 split (it was 68/32 originally). Now we move onto the less desirable portion of this Mini: The price. Converted from pounds sterling, this Mini goes for $100,970. You can buy a whole lot of car for that money, or you can have an electric Mini. At least Swind is really building it, unlike the one-off shown by Mini at the NY Auto Show last year. Production is limited to only 100 cars that all come with a one-year unlimited-mile warranty.

Mini headed to North Pole to meet Santa Claus

It seems that retailers are bringing out the Christmas decorations earlier each year, but Mini's premature holiday spirit could be one for the record books. The day after Black Friday, the "Mini Goes to Santa Claus" adventure will depart from BMW headquarters in Munich, Germany and head up Rovaniemi, Finland (just outside the Arctic Circle) to deliver Christmas letters to Santa Claus -he must have an mail outpost here for his North Pole workshop. Guinness World Records is also getting involved with this trek, by competing for a for the longest-ever wish list to Santa.
Mini has assembled teams of vehicles from 16 countries consisting of all of its current models to drive the almost 1,900 miles. Although it won't be a part of the convoy, the Mini Paceman will be in Rovaniemi to welcome the groups along with former rally driver Rauno Aaltonen who will "demonstrate his unequalled talent" while driving the Paceman. We're not exactly sure what this means, but snowy climates and rally drivers always seem to be a recipe for great entertainment to us.
Scroll down for Mini's press release, but we'll have to wait until later in the month to see what should be some pretty cool pictures of the trip.

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.