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Mini Cooper SE Convertible wheels made entirely from recycled aluminum

Mini has revealed an interesting fact about its limited-run Mini Cooper SE Convertible: It's the first production car with wheels made from 100% recycled aluminum. Despite sharing the same look as wheels available on the regular SE hatch, they're actually much more environmentally friendly. The wheels were developed with Swiss wheel manufacturer Ronal. The company sells aftermarket wheels under the Ronal and Speedline brands, and it supplies OEMs. And it's no stranger to more environmentally-friendly wheel production. It supplies wheels for the Audi E-Tron GT that are made using a smelting process that produces oxygen rather than carbon dioxide, and it now has a line of claimed carbon-neutral aftermarket wheels. But back to the Mini's wheels. Using all recycled aluminum has the obvious benefit of not requiring new aluminum to be manufactured. But the benefits are greater than just the raw material use. Mini points out that a major improvement in carbon emissions comes from being able to skip the electrolysis process for new aluminum manufacturing. Pure aluminum is extracted from aluminum oxide (which is in turn taken from the mineral bauxite). To do this large amounts of electricity are passed through molten solutions of aluminum oxide and cryolite (which takes energy to heat) across graphite cathodes and annodes. Not only does this use a lot of electricity that has its own carbon costs, the oxygen that separates from the aluminum bonds to the graphite annodes, yielding more carbon dioxide (which is why the production of those Audi wheels is also interesting). In total, Mini says the recycled wheel production reduces carbon emissions by 75%. More specifically, it estimates about 0.16 kilograms (0.35 pounds) per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of aluminum used. Mini also stresses that this process still maintains all the strength of conventional wheels, just in a greener way. And of course, the wheels themselves are recyclable again. Mini, and BMW more broadly, are looking at ways to upscale the process and to source suitable recyclable products, likely other old wheels from cars no longer on the road. Though neither company said anything about when we'll see fully recycled wheels more widely available. Related Video: MINI Electric Pacesetter inside and out

Next Mini Convertible spotted on flatbed truck

Mini is well underway testing the third-generation of its four-place Cooper Convertible, as evidenced by these photos, showing the new droptop riding along on a flatbed.
Codenamed the F57 - as opposed to the "F56" designation for the Hardtop - the Convertible will ride on the same UKL front-drive architecture that will underpin its hardtop brother, not to mention its German cousins, the BMW 1 Series GT and X1. According to our spies, it'll share more than a few of the BMW i's lightweight technologies and will include such advanced features as electronically adjustable dampers. That seems like some high-dollar tech for a droptop Mini, but we'd be quite happy to see it arrive all the same.
From the beltline down, we can expect the Convertible to feature almost identical styling to the Hardtop. Based on the spy photos, there's not a lot to see above the belt line, either. The roof carries roughly the same shape, and will probably fold in a similar Z-pattern to the current canvas top.

Mini moving away from leather as it shifts to recycled interiors

In the midst of a far-reaching transformation, Mini announced that it will gradually phase leather upholstery out of its range in the coming years. It plans to fully adopt recycled fabrics in a bid to make its cars more eco-friendly. "We don't need leather any more in the future, because we don't believe it's sustainable. We're totally convinced that we will have modern and high-value products without leather," affirmed Oliver Heilmer, the firm's design boss, in an interview with British magazine Autocar. He didn't reveal when leather will disappear completely, however. Demand for real hides nonetheless remains relatively high; Autocar pointed out that about 54% of the new cars that Mini sells in the United Kingdom are ordered with leather upholstery, which is generally either sold at an extra cost or made standard on upmarket trim levels that come with a price premium. We've asked the company's American division to provide us with the take rate on our shores, and we'll update this story if we learn more. Mini's shift towards recycled materials is ongoing. As of writing, 100% of the fabric it uses to upholster seats is recycled, according to the same report, and 70% of the material underneath the cloth is, too. Looking ahead, it will make interior trim pieces with recycled materials. Cork was used in the Urbanaut concept, for example. Heilmer's comments add another piece to the next-generation Hardtop puzzle. Tentatively due out in 2023, so possibly as a 2024 model, it will embody the nameplate's biggest evolution since BMW rebooted it in 2000. It will likely still be offered with two or four doors, though the convertible is allegedly living on borrowed time, and both will be smaller than their respective predecessors. It will also showcase a purer approach to design. Heritage will continue to shape the exterior design. Inside, the theme will come "more from a home perspective rather than an automotive one," Heilmer noted, which partially explains why stylists want to incorporate different materials. His team is still debating whether features like the toggle switches need to come back, or if they're outdated. Most can be replaced with a menu in the infotainment system, but tapping a screen is not as satisfying and a lot more anodyne than flipping a switch. Designing a new Mini requires balancing the past and the future. "We're looking to create a timeless design.