Yes, i perfer the red. MINI has new floating caps that I might put on my Team dynamic wheels. They dont make them in red, just black.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-spinners.html

 

Great looking car and happy to hear you are enjoying it. Those "Second Dates" with Mini can be very informative. Quite honestly, I cannot imagine not having one in my garage always. They are fun and practical.

Got an email from a buddy and there are rumblings that the next gen Mini maybe all electric. Whether true or not, I can't say---------------

https://www.greencarreports.com/news...o-all-electric

Assuming it is, I suppose if the Mini had a 300+ mile range I could see owning one. I'm not anti EV, in fact I'm thinking of a Tesla as a potential replacement for my M240i (if I decide to trade at warranty's end) also looking at the new Supra (need to see one in person as they look a bit "dorky" in pictures), or a new ME C8 Corvette. If the Mini's EV is "middling" in range 250 miles or less, I'm afraid this 2019 may be my last Mini.

Of course, things may change......my crystal ball isn't quite what it once was.

 

Can this be true?

https://leftlanenews.com/mini/mini-e...5k-pre-orders/

145 mile range????????????????? What are they thinking? Add 200 more miles to that figure and I'd be in.....

 

Thanks, puts a smile on my face every time I see it and drive it...


Amen.....


Unfortunately, think it's true....discussed the electric MINI's briefly with my sales person a month ago....I said I thought they'd sell like hotcakes in Silicon Valley and SF Bay Area due to crazy traffic and having a sticker on bumper to be in diamond lanes during rush hours.....Sales person said, "ummmm, unfortunately, not....as they won't have enough range to qualify for sticker.......she and I both agreed this was BIG mistake on MINI's part.....as people here buy Tesla's, Fiat e500's, Chevy Bolts, Prius's like crazy here because of sticker and feeling like they're saving the planet with electric cars....

FWIW, I'd be concerned about Tesla's for various reasons.....long-term reliability, long-term viability of company, and safety issues, but that's just me.....

Meanwhile, enjoying my car and getting 30 mpg now.....

 

I have been doing some reading on Tesla, and actually am feeling pretty good about the direction they are taking.

They acquired Maxwell and will be manufacturing their own batteries using Maxwell tech. Manufacture will be increased, while makiong batteries with more storage than the Panasonic's they are using now. About a 21% increase initially and potentially doubling capacity down the road. Maxwell (now Tesla) also are innovators in Super/ultracapicators. This should be huge in putting Tesla even further ahead of any other manufacturers.

Here are a couple of links to videos that give some background. Worth watching IMO. I'm not a "Greenie" per se, but do like tech. The future of EV is close to becoming prime time based on what I'm seeing.

Tesla reason for buying Maxwell:

Explanation of how supercapacitors can be used in an electric car.

Lots of info on how Tesla and their new battery manufacture.

Finally, this video is based on a technical paper. The paper should you choose took the author up is a pretty long and "wonky" read, but video explains in simple terms what the paper reflects.
The timeline alone is shocking and only time will tell if its true or not, but there seems to be more than just the guy who wrote the paper to be anticipating a big shift in our transportation methods.

The Tesla new battery tech is done deal and the new batteries will be showing up in new cars.. Whether we see the supercapacitors initially or not, remains to be seen, but I do believe they will be incorporated some time down the road. In fact, there is research being done to develop a high capacity supercapacitor that may replace the current battery packs completely. That could mean charging in about the same time it takes to pump a tank of gas now and have the same range as an ICE car..

Knowing what's on the horizon, it stuns me that BMW puts out a car that can barely break 150 miles and MINI less than that. Maybe they sell big in Europe, but I can't justify buying anything less that 300+ mile range EV.

 

I was told by someone who should know that, originally, the internal discussions were about an 80 mile range for the new electric MINI, but USA dealers 'splained that, we are not Europe and some people have 100 mile round trip daily commutes here in the Colonies.

What manufacturers are up against, besides the limits of electric energy that can be practically stored in a 3,000 lb. car, and, of course the expense if more cells are added, is figuring out how to market against range anxiety. Turns out, all the data shows most people, most of the time, drive less than 50 miles/day. Thus the easy business case for short range, zippy electric vehicles.

But we are all still in the "See the USA in your Chevrolet" mindset. Most folks may only rarely take a road trip of over 150 miles, but we want to be able to do so anytime we wish. It's burned deep into our collective psyche -- with a lot of that burn-in courtesy of the auto and petroleum industries.

IMHO, it's gonna take a very substantial and convenient charging infrastructure. People just don't want to find a Whole Foods and line up to wait for half an hour of charging to eke out another 30 miles on a 500 mile day trip up the Coast. I don't.

 

For us, we have a cabin 100 miles away which we like to visit weekly. To make an EV viable for us I want something north of 250 miles between charges. 200 mile travel time and a minimum of 50 miles around town to dinner and shopping (cutting it close since the major town is 25 miles from our cabin). I can plug into a 120v over night and gain approx 25-30 miles. I agree, for most people, 130-150 miles would be plenty living in a metro /suburban area w/ charging at home and used as a daily commuter or grocery getter. If no cabin, a sub 200 mile range EV would be a consideration

I think most people would happily switch to an EV with a range about what they would get with a tank of gas. Most, even moderate trips (if starting with a full tank) do not require a fill-up out on the road. They burn through 1/2 or 3/4 tank and fill up when they get home (or in the case of an EV throw a charge on it in the garage).

Battery Tech is gaining traction and we will likely be seeing 400-600 miles ranges in the next couple of years w/ a drop in pricing. Tech is also testing batteries w/ recharge times in the 5 minute range (10% to 80%). Interesting times for sure. Tesla and others are investing in charging stations too. They are money makers since you have to pay for the charge. Like the transition from horse to auto, the complaints were lack of gas stations while a horse could eat grass along the way. No arguments to that thought process back then.

Many countries are banning ICDE cars by 2030. That lays the groundwork for the future going forward. In the same way many billionaires are investing in plant based foods, trends and desires drive the markets.

I'd have rather seen Mini come with the options to upgrade a battery pack to get what the I Pace gets for $7-10K more. As is, Mini is un-competitive in the US EV market (at least for me)..

The "See the USA in your Chevrolet" crowd scream about the EV's limited range, but very few take cross country road trips (Chicago to Calif on Rte 66).. It's more something to complain about and hold on the ICE tech rather than see what's going on in the industry. If I had to travel cross country, I'd not pick an EV today. Distinct possibility II could change my mind by 2025 at the rate things are changing.

At present, I'm waiting a year and see how Tesla utilized the new battery tech it acquired and possibility of super-capacitor integration. If I can get a Model 3 performance with a 400+ mile range for $50-56K, I'll be dumping my M240i for one..

 

On more than one occasion I've thought about yanking out the V12 on my XJS convertible and retrofitting an electric drive system -- might be fine because the car never goes more than 50 miles at a time anymore, if that. But, when the seeping oil hits hot engine parts, which happens every time, the garage smells like I've just brought home a brand new car, with that lovely "burn-off" smell. I'd hate to give that up.

Then there is the 0 - 60 in well under 5 seconds Tesla option. For close to the same cost as a lease on a 2020 fully-kitted Clubman, one can lease a pretty nice Tesla Model 3. And here in California, Tesla has made great strides in charging availability. But, for whatever reasons, when it came down to decision time, I went for the MINI again this time around.

It will be interesting to see what's on tap 36 short months from now. My 2020 Clubby might be the last ICE vehicle for me. In the meantime, I intend to enjoy a few more years of MINI motoring by stepping on the "gas."

 

Have you guys looked at how bad the build quality of the Teslas are? FIt and finish sucks on the Model 3. I's still wondering how they are going to support all the cars changing when they have rolling blackout during the summer because there's not enough electrical capacity.

 

I heard that about early model 3's, the ones being made now all get pretty good reviews. Car mags seem to verify that.

Dunno about rolling black outs. Don't have them in Florida. I know Calif had them when Enron was selling power (Smartest Guys in the Room). Time will tell how it goes when more EV's hit the streets. Guessing most of them will be recharging at night during non-peak hours. I know if I had one, I'd be charging at home 100% of the time (unless circumstances dictated otherwise).....................

 

I'm with you on the current generation of Mini. I'd likely always have one in the garage in its current configuration. Just too much fun to drive and so damn practical to boot. I do have a feeling that we are seeing the future with EV's and the eventual demise of the ICE car. Many say it will be 50 years or before that happens, I don't know. But seeing how quickly people are accepting new tech and how quickly it becomes mainstream, it may come a lot sooner than anyone imagines.

 

Hey kids, have you seen this?

Maybe it's old news, but I just came across it today.....

Custom build classic MINI's......

Check it out MINI Remastered page.....

https://www.davidbrownautomotive.com/mini-remastered/

Gallery page....

https://www.davidbrownautomotive.com/gallery/

and the 'Inspired by Cafe Racers' page....

https://www.davidbrownautomotive.com/cafe-racers/


And have a feeling some of you (especially some of you vintage Bond fans....) might want one of this model:

https://www.davidbrownautomotive.com/speedback-gt/

 

That is absolutely cool, Wife said we should have waited on the 2019...LOL

 

Had a similar thought........

Although I forgot to mention that apparently this modern custom classic MINI's start at about $100K and up....depending upon material selections and details....

 

I am embarrassed to say that when I first heard about what these people were doing, I thought about, maybe, just might, only live once.... but our MINI is truly our daily driver and these things are so precious. But man, are they cool.

 

No need to be embarrassed......


I had similar thought for about a second or two....

 

Toy car

I ran across your post and wanted to ask about the JCW you had for a year but moved on due to the harsh ride. Did the car have DDC? I’m looking to make a new mini purchase and not sure if I should get a MCS w/JCW tune or JCW w/DDC. I liked the extra power of the JCW but the ride quality was horrible....test drove a JCW with standard sport suspension and 17” tires. Any advice you can give is greatly appreciated.

 

Hi guys,

Been about 6 months since my last post....time flies, when you're having fun with your new MINI....

Turned over 4K miles recently......

All is good and enjoy driving my MINI every day.....very pleased with my car.

Hope all is good for everyone....



Best,

Mark