We'll be the oldsters, telling the newbies what it was like managing 110 miles of EV range, enduring more than 6 seconds to get to 60 mph, and driving a MINI Cooper coupe manufactured in its homeland, the UK.
I've recently read the Chinese-made Teslas reportedly have better build quality than the US-made ones. And Apple products are made in China. I think it's about quality standards more than country of origin. That said, the MINI has a British history and it seems wrong to not be made in the UK.
I think it's more about the cost to manufacture. Perhaps as my MINI Cooper SE ages, I'll encounter some quality problems, but I have nothing to complain about so far. From what I've read about the quality of Teslas coming from US factories, it's easy to believe Chinese factories make better Teslas. Regrettably, I've read speculation that the MINI Coopers built by Great Wall Motors will be larger (likely crossovers) to satisfy both those who demand greater range and those who prefer crossovers to coupes (eg. the majority of Americans). It's unclear if the problems caused by Brexit will prompt BMW to abandon their very modern Plant Oxford. My dream is that advancing battery technology will enable Plant Oxford to produce MINI Electrics matching the size and weight of BMW's first MINI Cooper with double the range of our SEs. Let Great Wall Motors make the big stuff (for the majority of Americans). I wish enough Americans shared my dream to make it happen, but I doubt it's feasible. With the popularity of Honda's very profitable Pilot and the falling sales of their smallest car, the soon-to-be-abandoned Fit, it's not surprising that Honda chose not to bring their MINI-sized Honda e EV to the US. However, there is recent news about Honda selling crossover EVs in the US--crossover EVs built by General Motors. Remember when Honda rebranded an Izuzu crossover for sale in the US as the Passport? People called that crossover the Honduzu. I've come up with a name for the new Honda crossover EV based on the Bolt: the Boltonda. But I digress. Apologies for straying off the thread's actual topic into Honda territory.
Good discussion material here. I drove a bright red Honda Fit for five years. Good car. Unfortunately, my job at the time required some quality time on I-85, a major truck artery connecting Greenville with Atlanta and Charlotte. I always felt like I was going to be imminently crushed every day. I finally traded it for my current Santa Fe SUV just to feel safer on my commute. My current job does not require interstate travel, so I don't mind getting a smaller Mini. I hope that Plant Oxford will be able to continue into the EV future BMW is planning. I just think it is sad when countries move manufacturing and jobs elsewhere.
I'd be okay with a world where bigger models are made in China. I have read MINI is committed to making the Hardtop smaller to keep it in line with the original design. The Clubman, which my dogs prefer over the Hardtop, was "ruined" by getting too big and coming in six doors only, and almost exclusively ALL4. More catering to American bigger-is-better tastes, I guess. Rumors are the Clubman will get redesigned, or disappear completely. It did not get the LCI update. I'm holding out slim hope it gets reborn as a BEV.
