2020 Mini Cooper Cooper S on 2040-cars

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Mini Cooper SE Prototype First Drive Review | This electric hatch is a suburban belter

MUNICH, Germany — A battery-electric Mini SE? Haven't we been here before? Well, yes: A decade ago, as part of its "i Project," BMW conducted a worldwide field trial of some 750 lithium-ion battery equipped two-door Mini Coopers. It was launched at the 2008 L.A. Show, and the lithium-ion battery pack took up most of the space normally occupied by the rear seats. Nevertheless, interest in the 450 lease vehicles offered in the U.S. (at $850 a month) was strong, with more demand than cars available. One result of the 2008-2011 trial was parent company BMW learned that the average owner of a two-door Mini drives about 25 miles a day, and the company is hoping the battery Mini will be an ideal (sub)urban-run-around for two- or three-car families. Now BMW is about to launch a production Mini EV (based on the two-door model, but with the full complement of four seats), which goes on sale at the end of the year. This will join the Mini Countryman All4 plug-in hybrid in the electrified Mini stable, but while the Countryman has an EV range of about 12 miles, this battery Mini will travel around 120 miles on a single charge. The reason we can't be too definite about the new Mini's capabilities is that BMW isn't allowed to "advertise" the car this far in front of its on-sale date. We caught up with the prototype model, mummified in camouflage tape, at an off-the-road driving event held at BMW's Munich driving center on the former military air base of Furstenfeldbruck, now known as Maisach. The drivetrain is based on the middle model of BMW's i3 range, the i3S, with its 135 kilowatt/181 horsepower motor and 94 amp-hour, 33 kilowatt hour battery. The battery is a 96-cell lithium-ion unit from Chinese supplier CATL instead of BMW's previous supplier, Samsung, and it weights 441 pounds. Unlike the team-built, mainly carbon-fiber i3, the Mini is a standard three-door model that runs down the production line in Oxford, with a metal subframe that houses the electric motor, inverter, transformers, and control electronics so they can be slotted into place like a conventional driveline. We can extrapolate a few things about the Mini from the BMW i3S. As well as its working range of 120 miles, the i3S has a top speed of 100 mph and will accelerate from 0-62 mph in 7.7 seconds. With over 360 pounds more to pull about, the 2,998-pound Mini EV will be slower, with less range, especially if used in cold conditions.

Mini teases third-gen hatch to debut next week

All it takes is a small spark to set off a fire. Just look at what has happened since BMW brought back the Mini in the early 2000s. What started with a hatchback has since spawned more bodystyles than we care to count and almost as many imitators. The second generation followed in 2007, and now Mini is preparing to launch the third.
The new Mini is scheduled to debut a week from now on November 18 at the Oxford plant in England, just days before the LA Auto Show and Tokyo Motor Show kick off and on the birthday of the original's designer Sir Alec Issigonis.
The third generation of the popular retro hatchback is expected to closely follow the lead set by the Mini Vision concept revealed a few months ago, but then we already knew that, having seen numerous undisguised photos of the new car in action. Still, the half-minute teaser video embedded below does a decent job of drumming up some enthusiasm, so if you're enamored of the Anglo-Saxon retromobile, head on down to check it out.

Mini Aceman debuts at Beijing Auto Show as a little, all-electric crossover

This here is the totally new Mini Aceman, and it’s an all-electric, Mini crossover. Splitting the size difference between the properly mini Mini Cooper and large Mini Countryman, it fills the space previously occupied by the now-discontinued Clubman, but does so without a gasoline-powered option (or cute barn doors in the rear). Before we get ahead of ourselves, though, MiniÂ’s made clear that the Aceman is not yet confirmed for U.S. sales, and the global debut itself just took place at the Beijing Auto Show. So, as of now, this little EV is definitely destined for international markets, but weÂ’ll need to wait and see if Mini sees fit to bring it here.  Two versions will hit the market initially, the Aceman E and the Aceman SE. The base E is fitted with a single electric motor good for 184 horsepower and 214 pound-feet of torque, enough for a 0-62 mph time of 7.9 seconds. It also gets a 42.5-kilowatt-hour battery pack that Mini says gives it a 192-mile range on the optimistic WLTP test cycle – fast charging peaks at 75 kW in this model. Meanwhile, the Aceman SE gets a more potent electric motor good for 218 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque, reducing its 0-62 mph time to 7.1 seconds. The SE also gets a larger 54.2 kWh battery pack, increasing range to 252 miles on the WLTP cycle – it charges better than the E, too, peaking at 95 kW. Do note that both versions would cover much less ground on the EPA test, which is a more realistic barometer for real-world driving than the WLTP test. Coming in about 14 inches shorter and three inches narrower than the big Countryman, the Aceman is bound to be a more fun-to-drive and cheaper EV. We donÂ’t know much about its underpinnings now, but Mini says its suspension, steering, powertrain and braking systems are all tuned with fun driving in mind. Its outward appearance isnÂ’t a replica of, but closely follows the design direction proposed by the Aceman Concept back in 2022. Many elements weÂ’ve seen in the new Cooper and Countryman apply here, too, such as the customizable light patterns, flat surfacing and general minimalism to the styling. Wheel options between 17-19 inches will be available, and four different trims with varying styles will be, too. One of those four will be a JCW trim, but itÂ’s not meant to be a performance model, instead sticking to sporty appearance add-ons like a Chili Red roof and hood stripes alongside high-gloss black accents all around the exterior.