2004 Mini Cooper Base Hatchback 2-door 1.6l on 2040-cars

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Driving the Lotus Emira and Nissan Sakura | Autoblog Podcast #805

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor, Electric, John Beltz Snyder and Associate Editor Byron Hurd. This week we've got a handful of cars to review, like the Lotus Emira, Jaguar F-Type, Honda Accord Hybrid, Mini Cooper SE and Nissan Sakura. There's a new Autoblog T-shirt available through a collaboration with Blipshift (read more here, and buy yours here). Could there be a new, midsize Ram pickup set for U.S. production? Nissan is considering an affordable, electrified small pickup for America. The VW ID.7 Tourer electric wagon has been revealed, and we consider whether it should come here, too. John talks about the energy of the exhibition halls at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show, and our hosts talk highlights from SEMA 2023. Finally, we open some listener mail to help choose a fun convertible rental for a trip to Phoenix in this week's "Spend My Money" segment. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #805 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving 2023 Lotus Emira First Edition 2024 Jaguar F-Type R75 Convertible 2023 Honda Accord Hybrid 2024 Mini Cooper SE 2024 Nissan Sakura Blipshift's 'Automn 2023' sale is here and it includes a brand new Autoblog T-shirt Stellantis-UAW agreement brings new (Ram?) midsize truck to Illinois Nissan exploring electrified and affordable small pickup for U.S. market Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer previewed as the brand's first electric wagon — should it come to the U.S.? 2023 Japan Mobility Show: the feel from the show floor SEMA 2023 recap Spend My Money: Renting a fun convertible through Turo Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: Green Podcasts SEMA Show Tokyo Motor Show Honda Jaguar Lotus MINI Nissan Convertible Coupe Hatchback Economy Cars Electric Hybrid Lightweight Vehicles Luxury Performance Sedan

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.

David Brown's Mini eMastered puts an electric spin on a British icon

England-based David Brown Automotive specializes in giving classic Mini models the resto-mod treatment; it's to the British icon what Singer is to Porsche. The firm has primarily worked on gasoline-powered cars, but it's branching out into electric vehicles with the Mini eMastered. Starting with a classic Mini shell, David Brown Automotive rips out the four-cylinder engine and the transmission it sits over — this clever layout is part of how Sir Alec Issigonis packaged four seats and a trunk in just 120 inches — and replaces it with an electric motor. The motor draws electricity from an 18.8-kilowatt-hour battery pack to zap the front wheels with about 97 horsepower and 129 pound-feet of torque. Like most modern electric cars, the Mini eMastered features a regenerative braking system that converts kinetic energy into electricity that gets sent back to the battery pack. David Brown quotes an 8.5-second zero-to-60-mph time and a top speed that's electronically limited to 92 mph. Driving range checks in at up to 110 miles, which won't earn the coveted "long-range" label but should be enough considering the eMastered was envisioned primarily as a city car, and charging the battery pack takes about three hours. The little EV weighs 1,410 pounds; using a small battery helps keeps that figure in check. For context, the original Mini released in 1959 weighed approximately 1,279 pounds. The model shown in David Brown's pictures features an updated exterior design characterized by beige paint with a contrasting brown roof, an aftermarket grille, LED headlights, and new-look rear lights. Inside, it's 100% modern: the brand adds a touchscreen-based infotainment system, air conditioning, and a surround-sound system made up of four speakers, which underlines just how small these cars. However, the sky is the limit when it comes to customization options. Well, realistically, your wallet is the limit: anything is possible if you can pay for it. On sale now, the David Brown Automotive Mini eMastered starts at GBP125,000 excluding taxes and shipping, which represents approximately $155,000 at the current conversion rate. In comparison, the gasoline-powered Mini Remastered carries a base price of under $100,000. Related Video This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.