Next-gen Mini Cooper SE caught undisguised

My point was meant to be the J01 has no tunnel, and they probably packed the motor in the front and did FWD to keep the boot space intact. I should have been clearer.

 

A RWD J01 could have a frunk, instead, but even if the J01's front-end was as long as the F56's front end, the J01's frunk wouldn't be as large as the F56's boot.

 

We’d lose most of the boot basement but that’s about it. Most of the crap under the F56 SE’s bonnet is ECUs, cooling, and hydraulics (and a cage to allow the little motor to fit the ICE mounts!); all that (except the superfluous cage) would stay up front in a R/AWD J01 anyway.

 

This is exactly how I feel. I’m really glad I have a ‘21. I love it just as much as the day I bought it. Maybe more. Looks like I’ll be holding onto it for a while longer. At least until they offer a convertible.


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Interior shots.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/new-2024-mini-cooper-electric-interior-revealed

 

Lots of interior photos here.

 

Well I don't hate it, and I can appreciate some calls-backs to classic Mini, but I still very much prefer the interior in my '23. An instrument panel that's fully in the center just doesn't appeal to me.

 

The center instrument panel is a part of the Mini history. It's not really a Mini without that.

 

I'm torn on the gear selector. Now it's a light up flappy toggle with a light uppark button on the side.

 

Right, but taking away any kind of display above the steering wheel is what I'm referring to.

 

I was concerned about that, too, but I see there is a HUD which greatly reduces my concern.

 

Overall I'm eh on the new design/etc, but I'm curious about Carplay on that single center screen. Haven't seen anything to indicate they'd even still support it, but if so, how it'd even work.

 

It's completely unrelated to a shifter and yet they still put the "R" in the up/forward position, with "D" in the down/back position. Plus something else underneath the "RND" that looks like "D/S"? Also for the "D" it seems like it's maybe "P<=>D", maybe a sideways motion on the "shifter" knob to go into park?

 

I think you just push the illuminated P circular button to park. In the Aceman concept everything was backlit blue.

Perhaps the gear selector will be spring loaded and there will be some light internal resistance for the Neutral & Reverse.

 

Ever since the marque’s rebirth in 2002, it’s been a “premium” small car; this upcoming model looks decidedly un-premium. Unless, of course, the marketers think that Elmo is onto something in convincing the unwashed masses that “sparse” equals “upscale.”

 

Sparse feels cheap to me. I especially hate it when the only screen in my wife's Tesla freezes, and I have to reboot it, while driving "blind".

 

That's what it is, recall the MINI Strip from Paul Smith a couple years ago. Quite a bit of that concept seems to have made it to the J01.

 

I don’t mind the idea of a minimalist stripped down interior echoing the original mini where form follows function, just do it with high quality materials and don’t add unnecessary things or details like the straps on the steering wheel and dash and the lighting on the dash that serves no purpose. I hope the base version has a more normal finish to the dash. I looked carefully and couldn’t see any air vents on the driver side. Hope we get some pictures of the seats soon.lt seems everybody wants big displays. I wish the display was smaller. I wonder if it looks that drab in person.

 

The pictures of the seats were already released.