Mini Cooper Electric is fun & fast with classic cabin & stripped-back looks that recaptures feel of legendary ancestors

BIG news. The little Mini Cooper has had a total reboot.

Petrol from £23k. Electric from £30k. Your choice.

Bernhard Filser

Pop it in Go-Kart mode, wait for the Mario Kart-style ‘Woohoo!’, and attack the B-road in front of you[/caption]

Bernhard Filser

Cooper Electric is a special little car that recaptures the feel of its ancestor but transports you to the future[/caption]

Bernhard Filser

Like the classic Mini, it has just three main elements — steering wheel, big round instrument cluster at the heart of the dash and toggle switches[/caption]

Both get a mint-fresh cabin. Simple like the 1959 original but trendy enough to cut it with the yoofs.

Both get stripped-back looks on the outside and no chrome.

Both make me happy.

Today we’re trying the Chinese-built Cooper Electric.

Yes, you read that correctly. The battery-powered car is being built in China for now.

The petrol car in Oxford. Then Oxford will adopt ­Cooper Electric from 2026.

Now, the problem with the old ­electric Mini is that it only goes about half as far as you tell your friends it does.

About 80-90 miles in the real world.

This new one will do double that for much the same money. Decent.

How does it drive? Like a Mini should. It’s fun, fast and grippy.

Pop it in Go-Kart mode, wait for the Mario Kart-style “Woohoo!”, and attack the B-road in front of you.

And then attack it some more. Think rat and drainpipe.

The wider front track and longer wheelbase make it properly chuckable but also help to mask the weight of the bigger batteries.

It’ll be hilarious

Now for a bit of housekeeping.

There are two battery sizes.

First up 37kWh with an official range of 190 miles costing £30k. That’s simply called Cooper E.

Or the bigger 49kWh with a 249-mile range for £34,500. That’s the SE.

I’m not supposed to know this but there’s a jet-heeled John Cooper Works coming early next year that’ll be 260hp with a 20hp boost paddle

Both are front-wheel drive. Both recharge to 80 per cent in 30 minutes.

I’m not supposed to know this but there’s a jet-heeled John Cooper Works coming early next year that’ll be 260hp with a 20hp boost paddle. That’ll be hilarious.

Right, let’s take a closer look at that cabin.

Like the classic Mini, it has just three main elements — steering wheel, big round instrument cluster at the heart of the dash, toggle switches. Simples.

It makes the outgoing Mini look far too busy.

Knitted recycled textiles cover the dash.

The big, round touchscreen is loaded with clever BMW tech.

Heated steering wheel, 3D satnav, reversing camera and front Isofix for a baby seat, all come as standard — and they all please.

Higher spec versions have head-up display and augmented-reality satnav.

But you don’t need that.

The boot is titchy. Duh. It’s a Mini. But flip the rear seats down if you need more room. Or get a Countryman.

As for looks, only a proper Mini nerd will notice Cooper Electric’s ­pebble-smooth surfaces.

No plastic wheel arches, no side scuttles or indicators on the front wings, and flush door handles. Cool and minimalist.

The petrol keeps the plastic wheel arches and regular door handles for now. We’ll report back when we drive that car soon.

To sum up, then.

Cooper Electric is a special little car that recaptures the feel of its ancestor but transports you to the future.

I liked it. A lot.

Bernhard Filser

There are old-school toggle switches, too[/caption]