Latest news with #MiniCooper
The Sun
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Sun
Mini John Cooper Works Electric is a riot on wheels with Mario Kart vibes, punchy pace and top tech cabin
IF your bin lid is addicted to driving games like Mario Kart or Gran Turismo, trust me, that's good parenting. They'll make safer drivers one day. 3 3 3 All the research I've seen suggests gamers have faster reaction times, better awareness of what's going on around them, and greater driving confidence. They are also less likely to get penalty points. I was reminded of this trying the new Mini John Cooper Works Electric. Basically half-car, half-PlayStation. Pop it in 'Go-Kart' mode and you'll hear a cheery 'Woo-hoo', like you've just landed in Mario Kart World. The boost button on the steering wheel is for instant acceleration, obviously. But it also flashes up a kaleidoscope of patterns on the touchscreen counting down from ten seconds to zero. Your passengers will enjoy that. You'll be too busy trying to dodge bananas on Rainbow Road. Every Mini is wired for fun. You know that. You don't need to slow for corners in a Mini. JCW versions dial everything up to 11. Especially the electric one. Mini Cooper Electric is fun & fast with classic cabin & stripped-back looks that recaptures feel of legendary ancestors The petrol JCW is 231hp and catapults from 0-62mph in 6.1 seconds. The electric JCW is 258hp, including that 27hp boost function, and two tenths quicker off the line. You can also play 'Go Kart Go' and 'Burnin' Rubber 5' on that dinner plate-sized OLED screen. There's not much in it in terms of cost. About £2k extra for the EV. The sticky bit is range. You'll get around 160-180 miles in the real world. So you'll need a driveway to top up the battery overnight. The petrol JCW goes a lot further. As for looks, the regular Mini Cooper is class – inside and out. JCWs have more attitude with bonnet stripes, a siiiiiiick red-to-black roof fade, red brake calipers, chequered flag detailing and so on. I'm repeating myself here but Mini cabin quality is absolutely top notch these days. Retro toggle bar and turn-key start mixed with cutting-edge BMW tech and knitted recycled materials. You can also play 'Go Kart Go' and 'Burnin' Rubber 5' on that dinner plate-sized OLED screen.
Mail & Guardian
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Mail & Guardian
A super Cooper by Mini — but is it too expensive?
The fifth generation Mini Cooper I have blurred memories of the Mini 1275e that my parents owned back in the Nineties and the early 2000s. All I remember is that my mum piled up her students in the back to give them a lift to and from her tuition. To get an image of what that looks like, you might have to picture Mr Bean putting a few passengers in his Mini. That Mini cost my parents R2 500 back in 1991 and, when they eventually let go of it, they were able to sell the car for R6 000. If only we could buy cars for R2 500 now. If only we could make a profit on vehicles after piling on years of mileage. Thirty-five years on, it costs 238 times the price to get into a brand-new Mini Cooper. For those who are bad at maths, that means the new fifth-generation Mini Cooper starts at R595 000. If you need the five-door variant, it will set you back R617 000 and the Mini Cooper SE, which is electric, is rather reasonably priced at R802 000. At an entry price of just under R600 000, I was expecting big things from the little Mini. The exterior For starters, Mini has never lacked style. This one does not disappoint. The front has a striking grille that ties into the headlights well. The headlights also have a very cool animation and wink at you when you unlock the vehicle. The daytime running lights run around the oval-shaped headlights and it just looks distinctive in every aspect. The three-door Cooper sits on 17-inch black alloy wheels that add to the stylish exterior. The brand has also built itself by making vehicles customisable. For example, I had a bright yellow version on test with black alloy wheels, a white roof and white exterior mirrors. Mini is the one brand that could tie those colours together and make it look fun. The rear of the vehicle is just as exciting as Mini has brought a completely new design to it. The weirdly shaped triangular tail lights are connected by a black strip with the 'Cooper' lettering across it. Ultimately, the exterior of the vehicle embodies fun and gives you an idea of what the vehicle is about. The interior The interior of the fifth-generation Mini Cooper amplifies the message you are given on the outside. Once you jump in, you are greeted by a superb leather and cloth interior. Majority leather on the seats means that the driver and passenger are comfortable. For those wanting to squeeze into the back, the room is very limited — that's why I used the word passenger in the singular above. It is a three-door, so I did not expect much room for backseat passengers. The boot space is also very tight. After a short experiment, I realised this is not the vehicle to take on your monthly grocery shopping trip. The boot isn't able to take more than exactly three Checkers packets. The dashboard gets some lovely cloth which has ambient lighting projected through it. For me, this was aesthetically pleasing but also subtle enough to not be distracting. Unlike most vehicles with their large rectangular screens, the Mini Cooper has a circular screen that is 240mm in diameter. That screen has all your driving information, so you don't get an instrument cluster. It is a touch odd to not have an instrument cluster, because there's nothing behind your steering wheel, but Mini has taken a minimalist approach and decided to just push everything into that one screen. The infotainment system can be changed to different experiences: Core, Go-Kart, Green, Vivid and Timeless. The Timeless experience set the infotainment screen into an elegant and classic format with an analog clock that made me feel like I was back in that Mini 1275e again — but with some technology. The car just gets more unique as the stop-start button is shaped like a key that needs to be twisted to start the vehicle. The gear shifter is also tiny and placed under the infotainment screen next to the stop-start button. That timeless experience: The mode that took me back in time in the new Mini Cooper The drive I was surprised by the drive. For a small vehicle, on the poor roads we have, it was exceptionally smooth. Mini has given the Cooper a three-cylinder 1.5 litre turbocharged engine that delivers 115kW of power and 230Nm of torque. This was more than enough power to get you by. In a vehicle this small, those numbers are impressive. There was also no turbo lag and the car gave an instant kick whenever you needed the speed. Because the car is so tiny, and has a good amount of power, it is really fun to drive. Navigating bendy roads becomes exciting and it's the type of car that makes you want to drive it all the time. The new tailights really bring the back of the Mini together Safety The 2025 Mini Cooper E has earned a five-star safety rating from both the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) and its counterpart the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (Ancap). Euro NCAP tests show it achieved an 89% score for adult occupant protection, 85% for child occupant protection, 77% for pedestrian protection and 79% for its active safety systems. It also has safety features such as automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and parking sensors. Blind-spot monitors, rear cross-traffic alerts, lane-departure warnings, rear automatic braking and an exit-warning system are optional. Verdict Easy to park, fun to drive and with great manoeuvrability, the Mini Cooper is a gem on the road. The exterior and interior both embody the fun nature of the car and it has a personality that very few manufacturers can match. And, while it is no longer the Nineties, where you could purchase a car for under R10 000, the hefty price tag of R595 000 is just about the only downside of this little vehicle.
Top Gear
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Buy Mini Cooper Electric Price, PPC or HP
Buying What should I be paying? The Mini Cooper Electric range is slightly difficult to get your head round – first you choose your powertrain. The E has the lesser powered 182bhp motor and smaller 36.6kWh battery and starts at £26,905. The SE comes with 215bhp, a larger 49.2kWh battery and starts at £29,905. Each of those can be had in Classic, Exclusive or Sport trim. You get 16in wheels on the Classic, 17s on Essential and 18in alloys on the Sport, as well as a variety of body kits and interior styling treatments. The uplifts in these trims are the same whether you're in an E or SE – Exclusive is £2,200 more than Classic, and Sport is an extra £1,300 over Exclusive. Advertisement - Page continues below The JCW hot hatch model sits by itself at the top of the range at £34,905. It's on 18in alloys and gets a bespoke body kit and racier interior. Naturally. What about the kit? There are two upgrade packages available on the Cooper Electric – if you buy an E, Level 1 is £2k and Level 2 is another £4k. But if you go for the SE, Level 1 is included and Level 2 drops to £2k. Confuzzled yet? There's a mystical Level 3 package that's only available on SE Exclusive cars and above, and that costs £4.5k. It's ridiculous to try and get your head round, but that's numberwang. Level 1 brings heated front seats, keyless entry, LED headlights, head-up display and wireless phone charging. Level 2 brings a panoramic sunroof, fancier windows that filter out some of the sun and a Harmon Kardon sound system. Level 3 has self-parking tech and augmented reality satnav tech that shows you a video of where you're driving but with arrows and that. Advertisement - Page continues below Which one should I go for? The bigger battery seems like a no brainer, and for the sake of the ride we'd probably for the basic Mini Cooper SE Classic model. The John Cooper Works is a fun attempt at an electric hot hatch, but when an Alpine A290 is less money and a Renault 5 less again? Hmm.
STV News
3 days ago
- STV News
Car driven into group of men fighting with weapons in street violence
An investigation has been launched after a car was used to ram a group of men fighting each other with weapons in Dundee on Tuesday. Footage of the incident, which took place at around 1.40pm, seen by STV News, appears to show six men and a woman arguing on St Clement Place. A punch is then thrown and a fist fight ensues. A man then appears from the other side of a parked van wielding a long pole and swinging it at the group. He is tackled to the ground and punched and kicked by three men. Car tires are heard screeching in the background before a Mini Cooper is driven into one of the men in hi-vis. The men attack the car with the pole and attempt to punch the driver. A topless male also appears to be wielding a weapon. The individual struck by the car gets into the nearby van which is then reversed into by the Mini. An individual wearing all black gets into the car before it flees the scene while being harried by assailants. A 24-year-old man was taken to Ninewells Hospital for treatment after the incident. A burnt-out vehicle was found in the Baldovan Woods area around 4.10pm. Detectives are carrying out enquiries to establish whether it is linked to the disturbance. Detective inspector Craig Kelly said: 'This type of violence has no place on our streets and we are following positive lines of enquiry to identify and arrest those responsible. 'There will be an increased police presence in the area as the investigation continues. 'We are aware of videos circulating on social media and would ask anyone with information, footage, or who witnessed the incident, to please contact police. 'If you believe you can assist our investigation, or you have any further concerns, please call 101 quoting reference 1587 of May 27, 2025. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, if you wish to remain anonymous.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Peterborough woman arrested after pedestrian hit by a car
A 30-year-old woman has been arrested after a pedestrian was hit by a car and left critically injured.A 39-year-old man was struck by a grey Mini Cooper while using the pedestrian crossing in Elmfield Road, Dogsthorpe, Peterborough, at about 02:00 BST on driver, from Peterborough, was arrested later that day on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving while unfit through drink or drugs, failing to stop after an accident and driving without a licence. She has been bailed until 22 August, the force said. Officers said the driver had briefly stopped at the scene but left before the police arrived. The man remains in Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. An investigation has been launched and officers have appealed for anyone with information about the incident to come forward. Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
