Suppose “traditional Mini” and pictures of English villages, cobblestone streets, and afternoon tea come to thoughts. Oh, and the buddy-bandit film The Italian Job – each of them. Residing as much as its identify and goal (its genesis was a wartime gasoline scarcity), the Mini was certainly miniature and fuel-efficient, however it additionally occurred to be a gross sales Goliath. 

Produced from 1959 to 2000 with variations solely in its identify (i.e., Austin, Morris, Cooper), the wee-car proved a dominant pressure. Two million models had been offered throughout the first decade. By the top of its run, virtually 5.5 million had swarmed the worldwide panorama. 

However a traditional Mini drives like a bumbling Mr. Bean. It’s quirky and enjoyable at first, earlier than rising annoying. With a suspension harking back to a pogo stick and facilities barely higher than a jail cell, the pre-BMW Mini isn’t a car sought out for its creature comforts. Underpowered for the expressway, undersized for a grocery run, and but there’s a sure attraction to it. Nostalgia is sweet and all, however how does one thing keep related previous its prime? Engine swap! This being 2022, nonetheless, we’re not speaking of the LS selection. Nope, we’re going electrical. 

This isn’t a one-off idea car both. The automaker already did that in 2018, unveiling an electrified traditional Mini on the New York Auto Present. The Mini Recharged Heritage is absolutely supposed to breathe new life into an previous normal for the plenty. The identify is a bit clunky, however changing a traditional inner combustion mannequin into a contemporary emissions-free traveler is a reasonably easy transition. 

This Ain’t No Love Story

Mini supplied me the keys to a prototype whose donor car was a 1985 Mini Cooper. The car was completed up in a whole physique wrap with the charging unit uncovered within the trunk and an AEM efficiency monitor affixed to the sprint. This was as uncooked as a check mule may get however it offered a official take a look at what the ultimate product could be. 

Nonetheless, a lot consideration is taken to keep up the heritage and essence of the traditional. Each modification is definitely reversible. Working example: the unique engine is stored and saved in case of a future retrofit. And though trendy touches are required, like swapping out the instrument cluster for one which exhibits battery cost and car vary, the styling of the up to date IP is classic. Nothing in or across the car appears misplaced. Even the shifter has the old-school aesthetic of a handbook transmission (although, all the EV conversions can solely be utilized to an computerized).

When house owners obtain their Recharged Heritage, their automobiles will really feel completely different but in addition the identical. Behind the wheel, the EV-converted Mini felt identical to an previous Mini. Which isn’t an insult. The character of the traditional stays solidly intact. The car is nimble however, sure, with that tried-and-true delicate suspension. Rattling you, cobblestone! However even then, the brand new previous automotive didn’t rattle or creak. An engine be aware may drown out physique flex sounds however this traditional hatch has held up effectively that there have been none. What you get in return is a pleasantly quiet drive.  

Energy and efficiency undoubtedly enhance over the traditional four-cylinder, with each mannequin kind benefiting from newfound immediate torque. Car weight will differ by choices however no matter which traditional Mini is utilized because the donor car, the EV equipment will preserve the car’s unique dimensions and capacities. For instance, a 1985 Mini Cooper hatch just like the prototype automotive has a dry weight of 1,294 kilos. With a driver, weight distribution was 63:37. With a full load, that shifts to a extra balanced 53:47. I had a passenger throughout my drive and the car felt correctly grounded. Despite the general weight being unchanged, the location of the battery pack within the rear may’ve been key to offering that steadiness to offset occupants up entrance.

Small Automobile, Small Battery

The Mini Recharged Heritage is on the market in three conversion sorts: Pure, Sport, and Bespoke. All contain changing the gasoline engine with an electrical drivetrain consisting of a 72 kilowatt electrical motor and a 19.0-kilowatt-hour battery pack. The car vary is roughly 103 miles per WLTP estimates, which can translate to much less vary by EPA requirements. And don’t count on DC quick charging functionality right here – the battery is so tiny that the 6.6-kW cost fee is lots. With a Stage 2 charger, the Mini Recharged Heritage takes three hours to completely cost or 9 hours when linked to a family outlet. 

The Pure Mini is rated at 75 horsepower and 92 pound-feet of torque. Its most pace is 90 mph with zero to 62 mph acceleration taking 11.5 seconds. Okay, so not blazingly fast, however neither was the unique, whose output ranged from 34 to 77 hp and had 0-60 occasions that took… effectively, let’s simply say Usain Bolt on a leisurely stroll can outrun the OG. 

However on a car that weighs half as a lot as a contemporary sedan, the Mini EV feels quick. Go for the Sport and also you’re taking a look at 97 hp and 111 lb-ft of torque. Acceleration additionally improves, so it takes simply 8.5 seconds to 62 mph or 7.8 seconds within the now-included Sports activities mode. The trim additionally provides an upgraded braking system, a sports activities suspension, and Yokohama tires.

Go for broke with the Bespoke Mini, which builds upon the Sport mannequin, and also you’re taking a look at 100 hp and 129 lb-ft of torque. High pace relies on car choices however a sub-six-second 0-62 run feels doable.

Even with out the non-obligatory Sports activities drive mode, my check car hurried alongside the streets of small-town England with out feeling underpowered in any respect. The added Sports activities enhance could be a particular profit for reaching freeway merging speeds, however maybe in sure conditions it might be an excessive amount of quickness for too little weight. Immediate torque, even simply 111 pound-feet of it, can nonetheless catch you off guard. However I genuinely can’t consider a time I had this a lot enjoyable driving a automotive that was as previous, unique, and on the similar time, unfinished.

Occasions Change

The Mini Recharged Heritage was developed as a collaboration between Mini Plant Oxford, famend Mini elements provider and restorer Mini Sport, and EV part producer Zero EV. The official identify of the builder is Recharged Heritage Restricted. At the moment, solely two manufacturing automobiles exist, every completed as a part of a design train. Dressmaker Paul Smith retrofitted an eponymous 1998 particular version mannequin whereas artist Lakwena Maciver reworked a 1986 car. 

This Mini EV conversion gained’t come low cost, nonetheless, however such is the value of customizations, innit? Clients have the choice of bringing in their very own car or commissioning the staff to go looking and buy one for them. The bring-your-own-Mini route begins at £42,600 or $48,247 in right this moment’s forex fee. And that’s only for the EV conversion itself. Nevertheless it’s a fast swap that can take about two days. 

Requesting extra choices resembling trendy management switches, magnetic smartphone charging, or Paul Smith-designed prospers would require additional construct time and price. Don’t have a traditional Mini however need one and an EV model on prime of that? The beginning worth for car procurement plus the construct goes as much as £60,000 ($67,954). Order books for the Mini Recharged Heritage opened in September with first deliveries anticipated someday in 2023. For now, solely UK-based consumers are allowed to pre-order, however the Mini Recharged staff is actively trying to develop gross sales into different markets, notably North America.