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2020 Mini E spy photos reveal its interior

The 2020 Mini E electric hatchback has been spied once again. It doesn't reveal much on the outside, in fact it actually shows less than the last time, since this one doesn't have the groovy concept-inspired wheels. But our spy photographer managed to get a good shot of the interior, which reveals some neat details. Chief among the interior's changes is the instrument panel on the steering column. While current gasoline-powered Minis have a typical needle-and-dial set of gauges on the column, those have been replaced by a thin screen. In an effort to keep it from looking too out of place, it has semi-circle ends and a chrome ring around the screen. Odds are that the actual screen will likely be in the middle, and additional warning and indicator lights will fill up the circular ends. Other than the screen, the only other major change is the shifter. Instead of the round leather knob of conventional automatic Minis, it has a more rectangular knob made entirely of plastic. The rest of the Mini's interior is like any other current model. The vents, controls and infotainment are all taken right from the other Minis. Interestingly, this Mini E has carbon fiber interior trim. This will probably be an option, not standard equipment. We expect the electric Mini Hardtop will make its debut sometime next year. If we're lucky, it may make the same 204 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque as the original Mini E and more than that car's 150 mile range. Related Video:

Mini confirms the Clubman won't return for a third generation

Mini is in the process of overhauling its range, and it unveiled the new Cooper hatchback and the third-generation Countryman at the 2023 Munich auto show. While additional models are in the pipeline, the BMW-owned brand has confirmed that the Clubman wagon won't return. "I wouldn't say the space is filled, but we will not have a Clubman," company boss Stefanie Wurst told Top Gear. She added that the brand will instead focus on crossovers and SUVs. "The Aceman is a smaller concept, but I think the five-door space (if not the six-door) is filled well by the Countryman and the Aceman. If you look at the sales numbers worldwide, the Countryman doubles the Clubman," she added. Her argument holds water: broadly speaking, buyers in the United States and in China — two very important markets for Mini — prefer crossovers and SUVs over station wagons by a significant margin. Even in Europe, where the wagon held its ground for much longer than elsewhere, the fight is seemingly lost: new SUV sales grew by 23% during the first half of 2023, and the body style now accounts for over half of the market with a share of 51%. It's the first time this has happened. In contrast, that figure stood at 48% during the first half of 2022. If the name Aceman doesn't ring a bell, it's likely because the model hasn't made its debut yet. It's due out in the coming months as a small crossover positioned below the new Countryman and offered exclusively with an electric powertrain. It was previewed by a concept in July 2022, and spy shots taken later that year suggest that its exterior design won't significantly change as it transitions to a production model. Pour one out for the Clubman, then, and act fast if you want to put a new one in your garage. Mini unveiled a Final Edition model (pictured) that's limited to less than 100 units for the American market, highly equipped, and priced at nearly $50,000 in April 2023. While you're at it, pour one out for the manual transmission: Mini has previously confirmed that it's also ditching the stick-shift as part of its line-up overhaul. Featured Gallery 2023 Mini Clubman Final Edition View 35 Photos MINI Wagon

British automakers take costly precautions as Brexit 'no deal' fears grow

LONDON — Carmakers in Britain have triggered some Brexit contingency plans, such as certifying models in the EU, and are working on redrawing production schedules and stockpiling more parts to defend against any loss of unfettered trade after Brexit. The moves are aimed at ensuring plants, which rely on the just-in-time delivery of tens of thousands of components, can keep operating after Brexit on March 29, but will add costs and bureaucracy which could risk their long-term viability. London and Brussels hope to agree a deal by the end of the year to avoid tariffs and trade barriers, but Prime Minister Theresa May's proposals have been criticized by both Brexiteers, who want a cleaner break from the bloc, and the European Union. McLaren Automotive is looking at having its cars certified by both a British and an EU agency to smooth sales. It is also planning to stockpile critical components and change shipments into the EU around Brexit if there is disruption. "I will sell a little more in January and February and plan to pick the volume up in May and give us a leaner period through the change point," Chief Executive Mike Flewitt told Reuters. BMW, which said last week it would move the annual summer-time shutdown of its British Mini plant next year to April, is looking for lorry parking areas and warehousing on both sides of the channel and is seeking to sign contracts to lease certain locations, a spokesman said. It is also investing in IT systems to handle any new red tape as carmakers estimate tens of thousands of new documents could be needed if tariffs and customs are imposed. The German carmaker's Brexit plans are costing millions of pounds, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. But Honda, which builds 10 percent of Britain's 1.67 million cars at its Swindon plant in southern England, is not in the market to buy "huge amounts of warehousing space," its Europe boss Ian Howells told Reuters. "It's been a very precise calculation or estimation of what components need to be brought in," he said, adding the firm could also alter its output to sell more into the EU at the start of next year. Waste of money? Many British carmakers have also asked suppliers to look into how they would handle delays at ports, executives told Reuters, as thousands of parts, engines and finished models move between Britain and the continent every day.