Is anyone holding out for the new version?

You were lucky to have the removable hardtop. I too had a tonneau cover. When it rained, the zipper in the cover leaked. We had an early fall one year, and I spent the whole winter with a frozen seat cushion. That car was so low, I could see all the way under semi-trailers. I always wondered if I could change lanes between the wheels.

 

Here's a new review of the Ora Good Cat (called Funky Cat). Maybe the new MINI won't be so bad. The interior leaves me cold, but I'd expect MINI to do a better job. But they couldn't do the Union Jack tail lights, could they?

 

Interesting aero trip near the lower corner of the front bumper (just past 4:00 in the video). I wonder if the next-gen MINI will also incorporate such details.

 

Ora 'Funky Cat' is what they're calling the Good Cat in European markets. Before that, they were just calling it the Ora Cat.

Bjørn Nyland (formerly Teslabjørn) has a number of videos driving the Ora Good Cat in Asia:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=bjorn+nyland+ora+cat+

And in the past couple days there have been a number of review videos of the Funky Cat landing on the youtubes. Must've been a big press day over the weekend; so many of these videos are shot at the same locations.
-- Late Brake Show (former 5th Gear presenter)
-- AutoTrader (former Top Gear presenter)
-- Electrifying
-- Carwow
-- What Car?
-- EV Ireland (just because the accent is better)

 

Kind of interesting that little (or really, nothing) is mentioned of the future Good Cat x Cooper SE cross-pollination…

 

Kind of strange since Robert Llewellyn (who I know as Kryten from Red Dwarf) even mentioned the "MINI-ishness" of the front of the car (at about 3:45). Maybe he doesn't realize the connection, not being an obsessed follower of MINI like some of us.

 

There's no hint that the Ora Funky Feline is coming to the US, is there?

OTOH, at the LA Auto Show, Stellantis said the Fiat 500e will finally be coming to the US. If MINI can't figure out how to bring the J01 SE to the US, this Fiat may be the only small EV people can buy.

 

Well there's still the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Bolt. Unless you meant only fun small EV...

Have any Chinese-branded EVs come to North America yet? Or even any Chinese-made ones? I just read Tesla is considering importing Chinese-made Model Ys to North America, but can't think of any cars that are actually here.

 

Ngl, the Bolt isn’t unfun. It has close to the same power (torque) to weight ratio as the SE, and similar launch control characteristics. The ride is Europeanish for a Korean car — if not quite as tight as the SE’s, overall.

 

Of course, the magic number is 152 inches. Longer cars cannot be considered small (I couldn't consult with any 2nd-gen Fiat 500e owners to verify the magic number, but no matter, 152 inches IS the magic number).
Leaf: 176.4"
Bolt: 163.2"
MINI: 151.7"
Fiat 500e: 143.0"

 

The J01 was announced about a month after I placed my SE order. I'd been holding out for a longer range SE for two years already. So, I went ahead with the SE. When the J01 finally appears, I may very well trade in my 2023. The way that SEs are holding their value, I shouldn't be out much if anything with the tax break I got with the SE. Or, I may not like the J01.

 

You made the right decision. MINI's not even going to reveal the J01 until a year from now. Who knows how long it will take to get one in the US or how much it will cost?

You'll certainly have more than a year of fun driving your Oxford SE. By the time you can get a Zhangjiagang SE you'll be so accustomed to the former with its 114-mile (EPA) range that you won't know what to do with all that extra range /s.

 

My first 2 minis were 120" long. The next one was a huge 125"!
When I was buying my SE and trying an S for size, a salesgirl said something about it being a 'small' car.
"Umm, you should try a classic Mini"
"Oh, I have."
...

 

My 1968 "safety-by-Gillette" Morris Mini Moke was also 120" long. I consider that a "micro" car now (even though a true micro like the BMW Isetta 300 was only 89" long).

 

My 2006 fortwo cabrio clocked in at a mighty 102 inches. Still good enough for an occasional beer run.

 

Original fiat 500s were even smaller than classic minis. I only ever parked next to one, never sat in one. Then there were the single and two seat microcars. Before that, cyclecars.

 

Only two seats. When I wanted to move anything bigger than a few sandwiches with a classic mini, I had a 5x3 trailer. I could move a Volvo sized load with that.
I once towed another classic mini with an angle iron A frame behind me.

 

For those who are holding out for the next electric mini, it looks like it's going to be quite a long hold...2027!


https://www.motoringfile.com/2022/10/18/exclusive-mini-to-kill-f56-based-electric-mini-in-production-reorganization/

 

Most of my vehicles have been small cars. But I've been on the other side, as well. One of my full-sized custom vans could seat seven in great comfort (and sleep two), but the downside was the 35 gallon fuel tank (range 500 miles, under 15mpg). I cannot imagine filling that today.

 

Polestar is Chinese, even though the design office is in Sweden. The factory is in Chengdu I think…
There have been Chinese Tesla’s imported to the US, the standard range LFP models as I understand it. But that’s just where they’re made as opposed to being a Chinese EV.