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Mini Cooper SE Convertible revealed for electric top-down motoring

The electric Mini Cooper SE Convertible is officially a production car! Sadly, that production is exclusively slated for Europe right now, but if we all yell loudly enough, maybe we can get Mini to send some across the ocean. In reality, the chances of the SE Convertible coming here are nearly zero, if not zero. Mini is only making 999 of them as a small series experiment of sorts. Its powertrain and battery pack is the same as the hardtop SE. That means it’s sporting a single front motor with 184 horsepower. The 0-62 mph time for the Convertible is 8.2 seconds, and the electrically operated soft top (with a Union Jack) can be deployed at speeds up to 18 mph. Range is just 125 miles on the optimistic WLTP cycle, which is considerably less than the hardtopÂ’s max of 145 miles. Here in the U.S., the Mini SE is only rated for 114 miles on the EPA testing cycle. If Mini ever brought it here, weÂ’d expect the Convertible to suffer a similarly proportioned range penalty. Mini applies a number of unique exterior appointments to the SE Convertible. For starters, itÂ’s only going to be available in either Enigmatic Black or White Silver. The door handles, side scuttles and light/grille surrounds are then finished in bronze. All of the logos and model lettering gets painted in a glossy black. Plus, the “E” logo is displayed across the front grille with a bronze finish. YouÂ’ll notice “1 of 999” lettering on the side scuttles, and if you open the door to look at the sills, the same “1 of 999” emblem is present again. The steering wheel gets an “E” badge, and the interior is only available in a single spec. Black leather and heated seats come standard, and the glossy black trim does, too. Yellow accents, the same as you get in the Hardtop, all emphasize the electric nature of the car. Production will take place in the Netherlands, and cars will begin shipping in April this year. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. MINI Electric Pacesetter inside and out

Mini teases new Clubman

Mini is expected to expand its refreshed lineup with the reveal of the new Clubman, at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. So to give us something to look forward to, it has released the teaser image you see here. Previewed in concept form in Geneva last year, by the Vision Gran Turismo a few months ago, and by numerous prototypes spied undergoing testing in between, the new Clubman promises to be even longer and more versatile than the previous model. That's due in part to the emergence of the five-door version of the core Mini Hardtop, which already packs more (or at least more-conventional) doors than the previous Clubman. The new one, then, is expected to go with a similar front-hinged door setup, and keep the split rear cargo doors from its predecessor (and the concept) in place of the smaller model's liftgate. The sketch was revealed on a promo page for Mini's "Go With Your Gut" campaign. Dark and sketchy as it is, there's little to be told from the teaser rendering above, but you can just make out a different roof design from the show car and an offset exhaust in place of the concept's center-exit pipes. We'll just have to hold on for a while longer to see the finished product. Related Video:

2014 Mini Cooper interior spied uncovered in China

As we approach the November 18 debut of the new Mini Hardtop, the trickle of news is starting to increase. We've already shown you the exterior of the new hatchback, and now we can show you the interior. These images, captured by Car News China, show a cabin that maintains a few key Mini styling items, but is a fairly progressive evolution of the current R56 model.
Mini's most iconic interior treatment, its center-mounted speedometer, is now gone. The new speedo sits atop the steering column, flanked by a (too tiny, in our opinion) tachometer. In the speedometer's former position are the radio controls. Our friends in China put it best when they say, "The large dial is much uglier than before." There's a mass of buttons and unfriendly black plastic that, at first glance, look far cheaper than the rest of the cabin. Of course, we'll wait to see how this is all ironed out for the production-spec car.
The other parts of the interior, however, look quite good. There's a small bank of toggle buttons at the bottom of the center stack, and the checkerboard dash insert looks clean as well. The seats sport extensions for the bottom cushions, meaning there'll be the option of more support for drivers with longer legs. GTI fans might also notice the plaid bolsters on the seats. Mini's treatment is a bit more subtle than what you'd see on a Volkswagen, though.