No Rear Seats Option

A

Almost Green

Member
Like me I suspect there are a lot of solo Mini drivers out there that never/rarely use the rear seats. I think Mini should've or still could offer a rear seat delete & battery upgrade option that would replace the rear seats with a additional battery pack located in that floor area with a flat deck covering it. This would give more upgrade would give more range and turn into a true 2 seat electric sports car. Just thinking out loud here.
 
Almost Green said:
Like me I suspect there are a lot of solo Mini drivers out there that never/rarely use the rear seats. I think Mini should've or still could offer a rear seat delete & battery upgrade option that would replace the rear seats with a additional battery pack located in that floor area with a flat deck covering it. This would give more upgrade would give more range and turn into a true 2 seat electric sports car. Just thinking out loud here.
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The 2009 MINI-E had batteries instead of a back seat because battery technology hadn't advanced far enough to fit the batteries needed for 100-mile range into the tunnel and under the rear seat like the SE.

It would be nice if it there wasn't a welded-in bracket that hampers the ability to make a flat space after removing the rear seats, but I'd hate to trade my SE's nimble handling for more range, more weight, and a higher center of gravity.

It appears that MINI will be addressing what some call the current SE's "range problem" by equipping the Chinese MINI Electric with a larger battery under the floor (making the car higher), and, possibly, a less-powerful electric motor that will draw less current (ie. more weight/less power). There is still much to be learned about the post-Oxford MINI Electric. I'm sure MINI doesn't want to make a car that's not as sporty as its predecessor.
 
2021-mini-john-cooper-works-gp-trunk.jpg


This is the 2021 Mini Cooper JCW GP which doesn't come with rear seats.

Here is a pretty good thread about creating your own rear seat delete.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/f55-f56-hatch-talk-2014/324791-my-rear-seat-delete.html
 
insightman said:
That article with today's date has a large photo of "Bernd Körber, head of Mini," but he was replaced more than a month ago by Stefanie Wurst.
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In addition, I've read that the Paceman is likely to be a 2-door model as compared to the 4-door Countryman. And the Countryman is going to be as big as the BMW X1 (same platform), which would make it not a "mini" in my book. Would we have to wave at these MINI-branded behemoths?

Of course these are all rumors and speculation.
 
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