On a sad future day I will have to replace my beloved MINI Cooper SE. I thank BMW for building the best-built and most fun car I've ever driven. I curse the popularity of SUVs because there is now a very limited number of cars from which I can choose.
Will any company offer a fun-to-drive EV car that can replace both my wonderful MINI and my supportive, steadfast, long-legged (compared to the MINI's 110-mile EPA range) Honda Clarity PHEV?
I was overjoyed when VW unveiled their ID.GTI concept car. However, VW's many problems (their very expensive failed Cariad software division, German labor troubles, and flagging worldwide sales) appear to have moved the ID.GTI to the back-burner. Also, with the popularity of SUVs in the U.S., there's no guarantee that if the car becomes a reality, it would be available here.
Is BMW the only company who understands me? Sadly, their efforts to increase profits by moving MINI Electric production to China met with overwhelming political headwinds--the J01 MINI Cooper SE won't be sold here due to extreme tariffs meant to punish China.
Although I love the styling of my MINI, I haven't been a fan of BMW's styling for many years. The giant grilles on their cars turn me off. Especially when those giant grilles are applied to their electric vehicles.
I loved it when a Car and Driver photographer used his dog, Lemon, to make a BMW M4 look better by positioning the husky–pit bull mix in front of the grille.
In September, 2023, BMW unveiled their Vision Neue Klasse concept car and it didn't have a giant grille! I was interested, but remembered that none of the electric MINI Coopers from the 2009 MINI-E to many prototypes and concept drawings had a hood scoop. When the actual production version was unveiled, the fake hood scoop from the MINI Cooper S was there. I didn't like it and spent nearly $2K to purchase and have installed a scoopless hood as soon as my MINI was delivered.
Now BMW has just published camouflaged photos of the Neue Klasse car that will possibly be called the i3, even though it's nothing like the original sub-compact i3, which made the MINI Cooper SE possible. Can it be true that the i4's giant grille is gone?
BMW's Neue Klasse i3 may be my next car.
Will any company offer a fun-to-drive EV car that can replace both my wonderful MINI and my supportive, steadfast, long-legged (compared to the MINI's 110-mile EPA range) Honda Clarity PHEV?
I was overjoyed when VW unveiled their ID.GTI concept car. However, VW's many problems (their very expensive failed Cariad software division, German labor troubles, and flagging worldwide sales) appear to have moved the ID.GTI to the back-burner. Also, with the popularity of SUVs in the U.S., there's no guarantee that if the car becomes a reality, it would be available here.
Is BMW the only company who understands me? Sadly, their efforts to increase profits by moving MINI Electric production to China met with overwhelming political headwinds--the J01 MINI Cooper SE won't be sold here due to extreme tariffs meant to punish China.
Although I love the styling of my MINI, I haven't been a fan of BMW's styling for many years. The giant grilles on their cars turn me off. Especially when those giant grilles are applied to their electric vehicles.
I loved it when a Car and Driver photographer used his dog, Lemon, to make a BMW M4 look better by positioning the husky–pit bull mix in front of the grille.
In September, 2023, BMW unveiled their Vision Neue Klasse concept car and it didn't have a giant grille! I was interested, but remembered that none of the electric MINI Coopers from the 2009 MINI-E to many prototypes and concept drawings had a hood scoop. When the actual production version was unveiled, the fake hood scoop from the MINI Cooper S was there. I didn't like it and spent nearly $2K to purchase and have installed a scoopless hood as soon as my MINI was delivered.
Now BMW has just published camouflaged photos of the Neue Klasse car that will possibly be called the i3, even though it's nothing like the original sub-compact i3, which made the MINI Cooper SE possible. Can it be true that the i4's giant grille is gone?
BMW's Neue Klasse i3 may be my next car.
