Don’t rush to your dealer right away to order it. Mini presented a unique electric convertible model at a brand event. This is certainly the best way to test the reaction of potential customers.
For a moment, we could already see ourselves driving, hair in the wind, at the wheel of this Mini Cooper SE Cabrio, before discovering that the car before our eyes is only a prototype. This unique 100% electric model was presented to the public at a Mini rally in the USA (July 9-17). Let’s hope that the brand finds a pool of interested customers there and that it decides to produce this atypical model.
With this unique model, Mini wants to thrill fans of open-air driving pleasure, while adding the possibilities of emission-free electric mobility. 18 seconds are enough to open or close the roof of this electric Mini Cooper. An entire program !
An electric convertible? Not so easy for builders
Strangely, this convertible version does not use the bodywork of the electric Mini, which would have been modified for the occasion. This unique model is based on the chassis of the convertible version of the thermal Mini Cooper S, to which the electric powertrain of the Mini Cooper SE has been grafted.
We therefore find on this model the electric motor of 135 kW (184 hp), which already equips the Mini Cooper SE that we had tested. This vehicle, which behaves like a kart, offers rather exciting driving sensations, with a 0 to 100 km/h in 7.7 seconds. A roofless version could bring even more driving pleasure.
Even if the autonomy is only 230 kilometers in the WLTP cycle, this already makes it possible to consider urban walks or on the outskirts. Mini has not communicated on the extra weight brought by this electrified convertible version – this is probably what could affect the autonomy of a production model.
If the manufacturer relied on the basis of a Mini thermal for his project, this unfortunately means that it is unlikely that the current electric version can be modified to quickly market this new version. And that’s a shame.
A hope of a return to grace for convertibles?
Convertibles have almost all disappeared from manufacturers’ catalogs. What was the pleasure car par excellence gave way to the pragmatism of the useful family car. The brands have nevertheless tried everything to maintain sales volumes, by combining diesel engines or by offering convertible SUVs altogether.
Since the very first Tesla, the first generation of Tesla Roadster based on the Lotus Elise, convertibles have been absent from the projects of electric vehicle manufacturers. There is little more than the convertible Fiat 500 e or the Citroën e-Mehari to respond to the desire of certain electric motorists to drive with their hair in the wind. Other high-end versions are planned for the coming years, including the new Tesla Roadster.
For more affordable vehicles, we will have to wait to see if MG realizes the roadster for which several rumors announce a release by 2024. Until then, a Mini Cooper SE Cabrio could very well find its place in this niche market. .