Want a fully electric convertible?
There remain no options for the U.S.; but if you’re in Europe, you’re in luck, with a Mini Cooper SE Convertible that will likely be available for something less than exotic-car prices.
Back in July, Mini teased the idea of an affordable electric convertible that’s part of a “completely electrified model family” that will coexist with internal combustion models for some years.
Now it’s already charging that idea into a very special edition. Starting in April 2023, the Mini Cooper SE Convertible will be offered on the Continent, in a limited run of 999 vehicles.
“Following the positive feedback on the unique specimen presented in summer 2022, MINI is now going ahead with a small series of the all-electric MINI Cooper SE Convertible,” the brand confirmed Tuesday.
MINI Cooper SE Convertible (Euro spec)
The Cooper SE Convertible is 151.6 inches long, 68.0 inches wide, and 56.2 inches high—all numbers essentially carried over from the gasoline Mini Cooper hardtop—and it’s built on the same 98.2-inch wheelbase.
Mini says that the Convertible will be offered in Enigmatic Black and White Silver exterior hues, with door handles and other trim given a bronze finish and model lettering in black. The power-operated soft top can be operated at up to 19 mph.
With the same 181-hp electric motor at the front wheels as the Cooper SE, it can accelerate to 62 mph in 8.2 seconds. That’s about a second and a half slower than the Mini Cooper SE, and it indicates that the Cooper SE Convertible may be several hundred pounds heavier than the hardtop, perhaps bringing the curb weight nearer to 3,500 pounds.
The 2023 Mini Cooper SE is rated at 114 miles of EPA range for the U.S., from a 32.6-kwh battery pack. Based on the European WLTP cycle, which tends to be more optimistic than the U.S. EPA cycle, Mini says that the Cooper Convertible will cover 125 miles on a charge—a 13% reduction versus the 144 miles the SE hardtop gets on that same cycle—so that might amount to only around 100 miles of U.S. EPA range, if Mini were to consider bringing any of these Stateside.
Although 100 miles might seem silly for America, it could be a great formula for fun. That sounds like it might be plenty for a couple of hours of beach cruising—or top-down commuting—all without hearing and smelling an exhaust.
