The Mini has had its most important reboot since The Italian Job — and the spirit of cool Britannia has gone electric.
First published in The Sunday Times
As the career criminal Charlie Croker in The Italian Job, Michael Caine made off with $4 million of gold bullion with the help of a trio of Mini Coopers. BMW’s caper was just as daring: buy up a struggling British car firm, launch a new Mini — and go on to make tens of millions. Exploiting its masterstroke to the full, BMW added Union Jack-inspired motifs and tail lights, and played up the Mini’s link to the Swinging Sixties. It might have been called cultural appropriation had the phrase existed back then. But the car has stood the test of time and more than two decades on, it has been given possibly its most important reboot yet.
Two new all-electric versions are available: the 181bhp Cooper E (from £30,000) and the 215bhp SE (from £34,500). For those not ready to zoom into the electric future there are also two petrol models (from £23,150). Traditionalists and those on a tight budget will plump for the ICE (internal combustion engine), but the all-electric version is very, very good. Brimming with puppyish enthusiasm, it brings a welcome air of playfulness to these grim times. But it has a serious message. Electrification works for some cars, not for all: there’s a long list of cars that have failed to make the transition from ICE to BEV (battery electric vehicle) but the Mini isn’t one.
Let’s rewind for a moment. The original Mini arrived in 1959, a miracle of compact design, squeezed into a body just over three metres long with space for two in the front, two in the back and even a modest amount of luggage. At less than £500 it was affordable and cheap to run — a fuel-sipping alternative to gas-guzzlers of the era. Luminaries of pop, film and fashion were drawn by its cool image. All four Beatles owned one, as did Steve McQueen and Eric Clapton.
John Cooper, the Formula 1 car constructor, quickly spotted the Mini’s potential for a performance upgrade, creating the Mini Cooper in 1961. Engine capacity was increased from 848cc to 997cc and then 1071cc, the latter with astonishingly quick acceleration for its day of 0-62mph in 14 seconds. Its starring role in The Italian Job in 1969 made it a sales sensation and its popularity endured until production ended three decades on.
Its BMW successor was an altogether bigger, safer car with one drawback: the extra weight made it less lively. BMW argued there were good reasons for the upsize: a new generation of customers wanted more space and regulations required it to be more sturdily built. Now the new electric version recaptures the feel of its ancestor, not by shedding weight but by adding torque. Thanks to its instantaneous acceleration, it’s quicker off the line even than its petrol-powered counterpart. Plus, it’ll reach 62mph from standstill in less than half the time of John Cooper’s original. You might say Mini has regained its mojo.
It’s nearly £7,000 more than the petrol edition but, mile for mile, it’s cheaper to run. It’s prettier than the outgoing car, particularly at the front, and sleeker with flush door handles to aid aero efficiency. Inside, there are familiar toggle switches and a circular 9.4in data screen at the heart of the dash, echoing the original’s oversized speedometer.
Oddly, when I stepped into the fully charged car the range- o-meter read 195 miles — less than its “official” 250 miles. As with other electric cars, WLTP figures are measured at 23C. In colder weather, range drops to only about two thirds. The car won’t support ultra-fast charging either. It’s maximum is 95kW and you’ll need to wait at least half an hour for the electrons to trickle in.
For these reasons, it’s not an ideal car for long journeys. Its forte is short commutes, shopping trips and school runs. It zips down side streets, nips into gaps in traffic and turns on a sixpence. It’ll beat a Ferrari Testarossa away from the lights and when you press the throttle there’s a great range of sound effects to choose from.
Those old Anglo-German tensions are long forgotten. The 1994 takeover caused uproar in the House of Commons as MPs demanded to know how a German car giant had managed to seize a British institution without a shot being fired.
Thirty years on, if there’s a dent to national pride it’s that this new Cooper Electric is made in Zhangjiagang, China. MPs have demanded to know why it’s not being assembled at the Mini plant in Cowley, Oxfordshire, as with previous generations even in the BMW years. This is being sorted out, with the help of £600 million of government-backed investment (translation: tax breaks) and the British-built, all-electric Cooper should finally appear in 2026. It seems only right that production should come home. The car sells on its Cool Britannia image, after all. John Cooper, who died in 2000, just as production of the original Mini ceased, would have approved —and so would Charlie Croker.
Mini Cooper SE Classic
Table with 3 columns and 12 rows.
Specifications
Powertrain
Electric motor, 54.2kWh battery
Power
215bhp
Torque
243 lb ft
Acceleration
0-62mph: 6.7sec
Top speed
106mph
Range
up to 250 miles
CO2
0g/km
Weight
1,680kg
Price
£34,500
Release date
On sale now.