from Wolfgang Gomoll on 03/24/2022
press-inform / Mini / Bernhard FilserMini Cooper SE: now the battery and motor come from Great Wall.
Same and yet different: The next electric Mini is similar to the model with a combustion engine. However, the battery and the motor come from the Chinese cooperation partner Great Wall. But the Munich carmaker attaches great importance to the fact that the vote is in the hands of its own engineers. They do a good job, as a first ride shows.
Mini pulls off a pretty challenging stunt on the next generation of models. Although the all-electric variants of the British speedster and those with a combustion engine under the hood look largely identical, they are on two completely different platforms. While the conventionally powered versions are based on a BMW architecture, parts of the BEV versions (internal code J1) are the result of cooperation with the Chinese carmaker Great Wall. However, it’s not like the next Smart, which puts a different hat on a Geely platform. Basically, Great Wall, like Magna, once acts as a supplier for the BMW X3, where components of the drive train such as the battery and electric motor are purchased and production is ramped up. That will not taste particularly good to the colleagues from BMW, who also have all of this in their range. Since every electric car is based on a precisely calculated business model and the Mini Cooper SE should also find buyers in China, the price is likely to have played an important role. Chinese characters can be seen at least on the sun visors of the prototype.
Shrink overhangs
In addition, fundamental development work also takes place in China, where BMW engineers are at work, but the entire coordination of the hardware and software is in the hands of the technicians at the Munich Research and Innovation Center (FIZ). The fact that BMW also wants to keep all the strings in hand with the electric Mini makes even more sense when you consider the model plans for the Stromer Minis: in addition to the three-door model, there will be a five-door crossover whose format is reminiscent of the first Countryman, there is also a real BEV Countryman.
We now have the first dynamic contact with the three-door BEV, of which two variants are planned: The Cooper E with 135kW / 184 hp and a 40 kilowatt hour battery, which will take it up to 300 kilometers. The Mini Cooper SE has 165 kW / 224 PS and 50 kWh batteries, the energy of which enables a range of up to 400 kilometers. We assume that these two variants will also be introduced with the other Mini-BEV models. The first look at the new Mini Cooper SE reveals a lot about the specifications. The short overhangs at the front and rear promise more driving dynamics than the predecessor. The demand from the chassis expert Klaus Bramer confirms the sense of proportion: The new electric Mini., which will be available from dealers in spring 2024, is only slightly shorter than the current model. To be more precise: the overhangs (especially at the rear) have shrunk by around three centimetres, the track is around four centimeters wider and the wheelbase has grown by around three centimetres. This results in a much more balanced axle load distribution than the current Mini Cooper SE, which is 60/40 (front to rear).
Understeer is a no-go
The low center of gravity of the all-electric architecture is readily accepted as an extra, and the fact that the next Mini Cooper SE is lighter than the current model despite the longer range promises additional driving dynamics. These details are immediately noticeable in the passenger seat. Compared to the current model, the front end steers in much more eagerly and the rear actively supports this intention. The engineers have also gone one step further in terms of technology and improved the actor-based wheel slip limitation (ARB) known from the 1 Series BMW and the BMW i3s by responding more precisely and controlling wheel spin even more finely. This becomes particularly clear on the icy northern Swedish lake: the Mini Cooper SE acts very neutrally and can be caught again with a small steering angle.
Apparently, the people of Munich have learned their lesson: “We definitely don’t want understeer,” explains Klaus Bramer. The technicians can check off this goal in the specifications with a clear conscience, although there are still 18 months of development time. “We’re not going to get any worse,” says Bramer with a smile. That’s to be expected. You can also feel the progress immediately when it comes to comfort. The Mini Cooper cushions more harmoniously than is the case with the current electric Mini. The larger wheelbase not only makes handling more stable and manageable, it also gives the passengers more space, which is gratefully acknowledged, especially in the rear. The Mini is still not a miracle of space, but mothers with smaller children will be happy to note this plus.
Speaking of the interior. A lot will happen there too. However, the interior of the prototype was still overcast and covered with thick cables and switches that are necessary for the test operation. Nevertheless, the well-known round display, which could already be seen on the undisguised test vehicle in China, stood out. We assume that the round monitor, which follows the Urbanaut concept study and no longer serves as a frame for a rectangular screen, but uses the entire surface. The instrument display behind the steering wheel, which is based on the current model, also looks like it was added later and we searched in vain for a folding Plexiglas navigation disc. It is quite possible that these two elements will no longer be needed in the production car. The new Mini Cooper SE had a big surprise in store for us at the very end: When we closed the frameless door, it slammed shut. So nothing rattled. Unusual for a prototype, especially at this point. So you can be really excited.
Prototype Mini Cooper SE (J1) / Image: press-inform / Mini / Bernhard FilserMini Cooper SE
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