"Mini plots radical new-look line-up"

I predict that we've already seen the next-generation hatch, and it looks a lot like the current car (so much so that I and others didn't spot the differences at first).

Now the rest of the line, who knows?

 

This AutoCar article has been discussed on the thread titled "Any outlook for large batteries (more range) for future Mini's?" On that thread I Photoshopped an overlay of the disguised Chinese electric MINI prototype in front of the longer MINI Cooper SE

 

The current cycle is getting too long in tooth. Let’s just fill existing orders and stop production!!!! Our SE will be the last great ones.

 

You probably think they should stop making Morgans, too? Clearly from the backlog of ordered SEs, it's a successful model and I believe we all want MINI to keep making money--if for no other reason than to continue supporting our SEs. So I say keep making the long in the tooth model as long as possible so there will be as many SE owners as possible.

 

Nah, dropping in the electric drivetrain for the SE should have been considered a new model, especially with the 2022 LCI refresh. It's taken the performance of the current platform to a whole new level. Major versions always come with new engine designs, but because the SE was a retrofit into the existing body it wasn't seen the way it should have been. EV fans who are not MINI drivers focus on the lower range, but the car is so much more than how far it goes.

 

I just highly suspect that the new Mini mini EV won’t be sold in North America. So the SE is the end of it for North America. We might still get the gas version for a while though. It feels very exclusive in the SE club right now. Much more exclusive than the Taycan crowd. I want to keep it that way, if possible. Which i think that is pretty possible. When my family gather on zoom. They talked about EVs and only talked about Tesla haha.
On a side note, how many KM do you guys get. I haven’t tried to drive to below 40%, so have no idea of real range. I am pretty sure that the range meter is under reporting. I wonder if i can even turn it off.

 

I couldn't find current global sales figures, but GoodCarBadCar in 2012 wrote: "Even though Mini is sold worldwide, the United States is considered to be its largest market." Of course, the sales of small cars in the US have dwindled considerably since 2012; The Truth About Cars wrote MINI USA sold 36,372 cars in 2019, but only 28,138 cars in 2020. However, last year, InsideEVs wrote: "8% Of MINI Sales In The U.S. Will Be Electric This Year -- The MINI Cooper SE seems to be a perfect fit for the brand."

BMW knows the writing on the wall is electric so unless they give up and stop selling MINI Coopers in the US, I don't believe they want to write off the US market for MINI EVs. Perhaps fuel prices will go up and compact cars will come back into fashion.

IMO, if BMW was smart, the next MINI Electric would be available as a convertible.

 

An anecdote from my dealer, which I take to mean interest in the SE is very high: service advisor said they tried really hard to get an SE in their loaner fleet, but only had one SE dealer car. It finally got assigned to the loaner fleet, but it was constantly being taken out of rotation because of all the test drives scheduled for it. Service advisor said they never once were able to lend it out as a loaner.

 

I agree! Interest in an SE convertible would be huge.

 

As a reminder, during the MINI Together event in July MINI strongly hinted a convertible BEV was on the horizon.

 

but the pedastrian warning sound kills it’s enjoyment. i love the silent rolling that my prius afforded me when the engine is not on.

 

Hybrids have to have the noise now too, as a regulation:

"NHTSA requires hybrids and electric vehicles traveling at less than 18.6 mph (30 km/h) to emit warning sounds that pedestrians must be able to hear over background noises."

 

Obviously mine is from the good old days

 

I'm never gonna buy a car made in china. I was gonna get the Mach-E till the sales guy said it was made in Mexico.

 

Politics aside, I think manufacturing in China can be really high quality. If MINI is managing the production I wouldn't expect there to be quality issues, it's Chinese-run companies that you have to look at carefully. Keep in mind Apple's iPhones are built in China.

 

It's actually funny that in Tesla-related public forums where you have battles between Tesla-fanboys and Tesla-haters when build quality issues come up they Tesla-fanboys point out that the Chinese-made cars are better. Which is certainly interesting as a concept.