A new generation of Mini is just around the corner, but the marque has given fans a special treat with a brand new variant of the current car. It’s not a new JCW GP, nor is it the return of a storied special edition. Instead, it’s a very green cabriolet that was never actually intended for production.
Yes, Mini has thrown an electric powertrain into the cabriolet to create the Mini Cooper SE Cabriolet. Right off the bat, it’s a brilliant concept. Electric vehicle powertrains are heavy, so why not put one into the heaviest two-door model on offer? If you’re going to add heft to the Mini’s relatively light formula, go all the way and chuck in the bonus of quiet motoring to go with that open top.
We’ve seen a one-off prototype of this car last year, and response was apparently so tremendous that Mini decided to put it into limited production. Only 999 electric Mini cabriolets will be made, but that’s still a lot more than expected, so I’ll call this a win. What’s more, all of these production examples look to be pretty much loaded. Big 17-inch alloy wheels designed to mimic British plug sockets come standard, as does bronze exterior trim, leather upholstery, a Union Jack-patterned soft top, and a heads-up display. While pricing hasn’t been released yet, such a broad feature set means this thing’s unlikely to be cheap.
In fact, just about the only thing that doesn’t come standard is a cheery color palette. The Cooper SE Cabriolet can be had in white, black, and that’s it. Considering the cheery blue and so-bright-it-hurts highlighter yellow available on standard models, going with the German rainbow feels like a missed opportunity.
Mind you, don’t expect Cooper S pace out of the Cooper SE Cabriolet. Although output of 184 horsepower should put this thing on level footing with the combustion-powered Cooper S Cabriolet, Mini quotes zero-to-62 mph in a claimed 8.2 seconds. That’s just over a second slower than the gas equivalent, but that’s about as far as bad news goes. Range only takes a slight hit, down 32 kilometers over the Cooper SE hatch to 201 km (125 miles) on Europe’s WLTP cycle, so this little machine should be perfectly fine for short inter-city road trips.
Unfortunately, as with many cool small cars, America won’t get the Mini Cooper SE Cabriolet. All 999 examples are set for Europe only, with production starting in April. That’s a bit of a shame as California’s balmy climate and EV program would make for an excellent environment for this thing. Imagine cruising down Mulholland with the top down on electric power alone. Mind you, I wouldn’t be surprised if the next generation of Mini sees an electric cabriolet come stateside in a few years, so take this special edition as a possible taste of things to come.
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This car would be the perfect little commuter car, especially in a Sunbelt state. The lower range will get you from home to the office and back with no drama. There is probably a 4Runner or X5 in the garage beside it, so no worries for ski trips or visiting grandma. I know crash testing costs a LOT of money, but seems like these would be the ultimate SoCal car for a lot of people. Nothing out there like it, so if you don’t want a Te$la or a big-boned EV or just want a convertible, this is the choice.
If they sold them in a color other than white or black in the US I’d buy one.
Shame on them for only making 999 of them, making them with only black or white paint jobs, and not selling any in the US.
Isn’t Fiat doing a 500E cabrio version in Europe soon/now? I thought they were even talking about re-introing those into the US as an electric-only model a while ago.
Given that convertibles aren’t great long road trip cars anyway (and before you ask, no, I don’t care that you road tripped your soft top Miata 4000 miles) this seems like a pretty ideal use for electrification. You don’t need a ton of range to go on a top-down twilight cruise of the city.
Yeah well my future LC500 that I’ll definitely be able to afford will handle road trips with aplomb
Given that convertibles aren’t great long road trip cars anyway…
That’s not a given. I think you forgot how to put the top up while out on your road trip.
We have a Cooper S Convertible (2005, triple blue, 6MT) and it’s a blast. An electric version of that would check all the boxes, provided it was coming to the States in fun colors. As it stands, bite me MINI.
You’re not wrong, that was the best vintage for MINI. Now that most are turning up on marketplace with 260k miles, leaking oil from every seal it might be a good opportunity for some EV swaps. What I would give for one of those R53 EVs MINI was testing way back when, what a tease!
Honestly I find it really confusing why they haven’t done this yet. If you’re in the market for an EV convertible, your options are either Tesla Roadster or Smart ED/EQ, both of which don’t have mass appeal. I’ve been wondering for a while now why mini hasn’t made a convertible EV yet, and I’m glad they’re finally making it. It’s a shame it’s not a mass-production vehicle yet, but I’m hopeful that they’ll bring it to the US.
They don’t sell Smarts in the US anymore, the old Roadsters are basically a hot mess of custom BEV conversions with a Tesla badge, and the new Roadster isn’t out yet.
Fiat is supposed to bring the 500e to the US and there is a “convertible” version (like the Smart which is technically called a “Fixed-Profile” convertible).
Convertibles BEVs make a ton of sense and I agree that we need more of them.
Ah, just posted something similar above. Yeah, I’d really like to try out the 500E “convertible” if they bring it here. It would check a lot of boxes for me.
I don’t know why the automakers all make the same EV, 4 door hatch or sedan. No 2 door or convertible. Can ONE car be outside the mold (yeah, I know EV pickups are a thing now)
Don’t you know, everyone sees driving as a boring chore and vehicle ownership as an unfortunately-necessary financial burden now. Everyone wants to just scroll through their social media feeds. Vehicles are appliances for getting from point A to point B, nothing more.
Modern convertibles have REALLY high beltlines. They just look weird to me. I understand that it is for safety but they just don’t look as elegant as an older drop top.
I want to love Minis. I really do. They’re small, they’re cheerful, they come in all sorts of colors, the brand has history, and they actually focus on driving engagement. But all of them just seem to wind up a day late and a dollar short. The range on the electric one sucks. All their ICE powertrains are non competitive. You’re treated to German reliability without the benefits of a German badge.
And perhaps most of all, they’re damn expensive for what they are. Many of their models flirt with or crest $40,000 and I just don’t know what you’re getting for that money other than styling. Even lower equipped ones in the high 20s/low 30s are really underpowered and under equipped compared to their competition.
Basically I just wish BMW would put some more effort into Mini. They’re some TLC away from being pretty enticing.
I feel the same way. Also, new MINIs are anything but mini and they lose a lot of the charm because of it.
What sucks is that Mini made the perfect Mini.
It’s called the Mini John Cooper Works. It is a fucking riot in all years. And you’d have to be an absolute idiot buy one that isn’t a 2017-2021. Because BMW. Literally every other year will bankrupt you with catastrophic engine and transmission failure.
And make no mistake, the JCW is way more of a track weapon than any factory Miata sold in the last decade. You can’t get it in a convertible for reasons of chassis stiffness. The suspension does not believe in compromise. The 17″ wheels don’t even fit the brakes (they have a significant outward bow on the spokes to make them clear.) It is a car capable of hitting over 120MPH before braking extremely late into China Beach, because I have been in one that did exactly that. Bone stock. Not even tires or pads.
But none of those sold worth a damn. Because BMW. The absolute cheapest JCW in ’18 was over $45k. That was the 2 door, manual, hardtop, cloth interior, no options. Oh, and absolutely NO cargo space. Not even grocery level.
The first gen were fun, charming, and a steal. They got homogenized, bloated and expensive each year after.
This thing is plug ugly.
Nyart, nyart.
-actually, I just wish I’d thought of it first