The BMW-Mini Thread

Farewell, drop-top? Mini Convertible to be axed, says fresh report

A fresh report out of the United States claims production of the Mini Convertible will end in early 2024, with no direct replacement planned.

According to Automotive News, the two-door drop-top model won’t receive a successor once production of the current-generation Mini comes to an end in February 2024.

Citing supply chain sources, the publication claims demand for the Mini Convertible has continued to fall. And, since this variant requires “dedicated tooling and more complexity to build” than the hatchback models, the BMW Group looks set to pull the plug.

 
In search of the perfect EV: Life with the Mini Electric

We spent four weeks with Mini's EV and discovered a car that, for a certain kind of motorist, really is as good as it gets

The Mini Electric is the greatest car ever made. No, really, it is.

But only if you live in a city, have a parking spot connected to a charging point, don’t cover more than 45 miles in any given direction and are willing to pay anywhere between £25,000-£30,000 for the privilege of owning a three-door supermini, albeit one with near-hot hatch levels of performance.

But I really do mean what I say: for a niche of people – maybe a very small niche of people – the Mini EV is the answer to all their questions: intoxicatingly desirable, neck-jerkingly rapid, with a lashing of the brand’s self-declared go-kart-like directness, blessed with a hint of sporting prowess (albeit slightly let down by a weight-induced desire to push on if you really try) and oh so cheap and easy to own, thanks to running off the plug. If all my stars aligned, I would buy one in the blink of an eye as a second car and, based on what I’ve learned over the past few weeks and hundreds of miles, probably never look back.

The Mini Electric offers small change for less range

Back in 2015, research company Bloomberg-NEF estimated that 57% of the cost of the average electric car was for the battery. An engine, in contrast, was typically around 15% of the cost.

However, battery prices are tumbling: the price per kilowatt-hour of battery capacity was estimated by Renault – EV pioneer with the Zoe – to be £932 back in 2010, whereas by 2018 it had fallen to £144. It’s predicted to dip below £81 by 2024. Chiefly, increased lithium and cobalt supply – via more mining – is credited with the drop.

The difficulty for the buyer, however, is the varying strategies of manufacturers. Renault and Nissan can offer a 200-plus-mile car for nigh-on the price that Honda and Mini are asking for 120 miles. Hyundai and Kia, meanwhile, offer a third more again for about 20% more money.

Which brands, if any, are making a profit on EVs remains to be seen, but if range is your benchmark, there seems a wider chasm than ever on value for money between the premium and non-premium offerings.

Mini Electric specifications

Price £24,900 (after grant) Engine Electric motor Power 181bhp Torque 199lb ft Gearbox 1-spd auto, fixed ratio Kerb weight 1440kg 0-62mph 7.3sec Top speed 93mph Battery 32.6kWh Range 144 miles CO2, tax band 0g/km, 0% Rivals BMW i3s, Nissan Leaf, Renault Zoe


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Mini One 3-door Auto (2020) Review

Fast Facts

Price: R408 726 (September 2020)
Engine: 1.5-litre 3-cylinder turbopetrol
Gearbox: Dual-clutch transmission
0 to 100 kph: 10.2 sec
Fuel economy: 4.8 L/100 km (claimed)
Power/Torque: 75 kW/190 Nm

Pricing and after-sales support

The Mini One range starts at R387 450, with this One 3-door auto costing R408 726. There are a few option packs worth noting, if you feel the standard specification is not comprehensive enough. The Mini One is sold with a 2-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and comes with a 3-year/75 000 km service plan.

Verdict

There are many things to like about the Mini One, but the list of positives is frustrated by the negatives. Let's get the numbers out of the way first: That list price is uncomfortably close to a Cooper and when you're paying in excess of R400 000 for a compact hatchback, "entry level" is a bitter pill to swallow. That being said, you're not being short-changed by any stretch because the Mini One retains the brand's endearing fun-to-drive characteristics, plus it still boasts a decent number of standard features. It may be a cut-price Mini, but it's still a fun little thing to wield on the daily commute.

What's more, the 1.5-litre turbopetrol motor and dual-clutch transmission work together so sweetly! Granted, the start/stop system does stutter, but you can bypass it with a switch and, once you're rolling, the powertrain is thoroughly entertaining; the One feels quicker than it is. The packaging and interior space is limited, particularly in the 3-door – we'd go so far to say it's essentially a 2-seater.

Should you buy one, though? Given the way new-car prices are going, if you want a new(ish) Mini and have R400k to spend, a punchier low-mileage Cooper with a few options specified is tempting.


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Mini Paddy Hopkirk Edition

56 years have passed, but memories of the great triumph achieved by the small car with the starting number 37 have hardly faded. In 1964, the classic Mini Cooper S clinched the first of three overall victories at the legendary Monte Carlo Rally. At the wheel: the then 30-year-old Northern Irish rally driver Patrick "Paddy" Hopkirk. In his honour, MINI now presents an edition model with exclusive design and equipment features to mark one of the most spectacular achievements in the history of international motor racing. One unmistakable reminder of Hopkirk's coup in the classic Mini is the winning car's start number 37, which is featured in stylised form on the driver and passenger doors of the edition model.

The MINI Paddy Hopkirk Edition is available in selected automobile markets from October 2020 as the MINI Cooper S 3-door, the MINI Cooper S 5-door and the MINI John Cooper Works. Like the famous starting number and the powerful engine, the body finish in Chili Red and the white roof of the edition model are inspired by the historical model.


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Mini's new 'Paddy Hopkirk Edition' celebrates 1964 Monte Carlo win.

Mini has revealed a new "Paddy Hopkirk Edition" variant based on the three-door Cooper S to pay tribute to the classic Mini’s first win at the Monte Carlo Rally.

In 1964, some 56 years ago, a classic Mini Cooper S wearing the number 37 claimed the first of three overall victories at the Monte Carlo Rally. Who was behind the wheel at the time? None other than Northern Irish rally driver Patrick “Paddy” Hopkirk (his Finnish teammates Timo Mäkinen and Rauno Aaltonen added two more outright wins in 1965 and 1967).

Mini says this new special-edition model arrives “in his honour” with “exclusive design and equipment features”.

So, what exactly sets this variant apart? Well, the number 37 is featured in “stylised form” on the doors, while the body is finished in Chili Red with a white roof (a colour scheme “inspired by the historical model”, says Mini).

 
Mini set to expand its offering with two new crossovers

Following the launch of the fully electrified Cooper SE, Mini has announced that it will be expanding its EV offering with the addition of two crossover models to affirm its commitment to the crossover and premium compact segments and strengthening of its market position in China.

Since Mini was revived under the wing of BMW 20 years ago, it has produced around four million units at its Oxford-based plant. In this time, customer needs and wishes have guided the development of Mini’s model range. A prime example is the Mini Clubman, which spearheaded the successful move into the premium compact segment in 2015. This was followed up two years later with the second generation Mini Countryman. Around 40 per cent of Minis sold across the world fall into the crossover segment.

Consequently, Mini has confirmed that it will be addressing this demand with the addition of two more crossovers to its model line-up. The first will be an electrified variant of the next-generation Countryman which will be sold alongside the fossil-fuelled option. Fulfilling the compact crossover segment will be an all-new model to slot under the electrified Countryman.

 
New (smaller) Mini hatch coming in 2023 with ‘biggest step in 20 years’

The next-generation Mini hatch due in 2023 will be “unmistakably” a Mini despite taking the “biggest step in the last 20 years”, says the brand’s boss.

Bernd Körber, head of Mini, told Autocar the company’s approach when developing the new three-door model was to not “screw with an icon”, drawing parallels to how Porsche evolves its 911.

“The 911 has to be carefully developed over time because it’s what Porsche stands for,” Körber told the UK-based publication.

“It’s similar for us, and similar in that at one point Porsche had to make a step beyond what it was associated with, and now they have a much broader portfolio,” he added.

 

Mini delivers Paddy Hopkirk Edition car to the rally legend himself - Autoblog

The 1964 Monte Carlo Rally winner gets his namesake car

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Mini has given rally racing legend Patrick "Paddy" Hopkirk one of the first special edition Cooper S models inspired by his thrilling victory at the 1964 Rally Monte Carlo.

The Paddy Hopkirk Limited Edition has a production run of just 100 units in the U.K., with "a few hundred" more coming to the U.S.

The Paddy Hopkirk Limited Edition sees no performance upgrades, keeping the turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder capable of 189 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque.

Both six-speed manuals and a 7-speed automatic are offered, but the thing that sets it apart are the Chili Red and white roof colourway with the number 37 on the doors, a tribute to the winning rally car's livery. An offset white hood stripe with the code "33 EJB" in it hearkens back to Hopkirk's car's registration number.

"I’m so flattered to have a Mini named in my honour." Hopkirk said upon receiving the car. "Motorsport is long behind me now and for my win at the Monte Carlo Rally to be remembered in this way is a great thrill and honour."


 
ROAD TEST: Mini One 3-door Hatch Steptronic

TEST SUMMARY

Okay, let’s address the elephant in the room ... a deep dive into Mini South Africa’s spec sheets shows the One lacks some of the desirable features that are standard on the Cooper. Where the latter boasts 16-inch alloys wrapped in run-flat rubber, the One makes do with 15s (optional 16s are fitted to this test unit to the tune of R6 100). The Cooper also offers a leather-trimmed sports steering wheel, automatic anti-dazzle rear-view mirror, Isofix anchorage points on the rear seats, a front armrest, PDC aft and cruise control.

Most of these items can be added to the One with the R25 000 Iconic Package but that splits the difference between the two to just R25 500. Combined with a shorter maintenance plan for the entry-level variant (three years/75 000 km versus five years/100 000 km) and you could argue the One represents comparatively poor value for money.

So, in a change of pace for CAR, we’re not recommending an entry-level model but a pricier variant. In the case of the One, it’s argument disintegrates when compared with the Cooper. An odd strategy on the part of Mini SA, certainly, but perhaps that’s the point: draw buyers in with a lower sticker price and, once they’re in the showroom, convince them to sign on the dotted line for the Cooper.

If you really must have the simplest Mini, wait a year or two and nab an excellent second-hand example for a more palatable R250 000 to R300 000.


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Mini Cooper 3-door

Twenty years after the launch of the modern MINI, the latest model generation moves to the next stage of its evolution, with the MINI 3-Door Hatch, the MINI Electric, the MINI 5-Door Hatch and the MINI Convertible getting fresh new design and technology updates, bringing parity across the line-up.

"With the current model revision, the MINI has reached a level of maturity that makes it more exceptional in the small car segment with regard to design, product substance and premium quality, than ever before," says Bernd Körber, Head of the MINI brand. "The MINI is the original that stands out from the crowd and it continues to reinvent itself again and again."


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Mini Cooper S 3-door


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Mini Cooper S Convertible


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Mini Cooper S 5-door


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Refreshed Mini Hatch and Convertible unveiled (and heading to SA)

Mini has unveiled refreshed versions of its three- and five-door Hatch, while also rolling out the updates to the Mini Convertible.

Set to arrive in South Africa in the second quarter of 2021, the updated Mini gains a fresh front design, with revised LED headlamps now shipping standard (along with "Union Jack" taillamps). The grille’s surround now takes up “significantly more” space up front, while the position lights have been replaced by vertical air inlets. Finally, the central bumper strip is now in body colour rather than black.

The side scuttles, meanwhile, have also been revised (with the side indicators now integrated), as has the rear apron, now with the foglamp integrated as a narrow LED unit. The wheel arch surrounds adopt new contours, too.

Mini has furthermore introduced a “globally unique” roof colour option. This new “Multitone Roof” features a colour gradient running from San Marino Blue through Pearly Aqua to Jet Black, created with a “new painting technique” and extending from the windscreen frame to the rear. The three colour shades are applied one after the other in a wet-on-wet painting process.


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