Ali Mir, Author at JCW Adventures

MINI Exhibition at BMW Museum Munich

Ali Mir — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 12:15:44 +0000

The MINI Story” visitors to the BMW Museum will for the first time be able to admire over 30 original vehicles, smaller exhibits and accessories from 55 years of MINI history. Numerous photos, films and sketches, along with a wealth of background information, tell the story of the tradition-rich brand across 20 themed areas. On 28 November 2014, the BMW Museum held a grand opening party for the new exhibition. “A MINI has an inspiring, engaging way about it. It defies barriers and is ridiculously good-looking at the same time,” said Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG with various responsibilities, including MINI, at the opening of the exhibition.

“The bond between a MINI and its driver is above all an emotional one. This wide-reaching exhibition at the BMW Museum and the brochure to accompany it provide an engrossing showcase for the rich heritage of MINI – from the conception of the original Mini in 1959 to the present day. I look forward to welcoming crowds of visitors and MINI fans who share our passion.”

“Following the recent guest appearance by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, this special MINI exhibition allows us to give our visitors a closer look at another of the BMW Group’s heritage-rich brands,” adds Gabriele Fink, Head of the BMW Museum. “We’re bringing together the most varied aspects of MINI within a youthful, dynamic and innovative setting.”

A wide variety of distinctive models and innovative designs.

A small car with a big history: The special exhibition shines the spotlight on the development of the MINI brand. An informative and action-packed tour leads visitors from the early days of the space-saving classic models, such as the Morris Mini Minor and Mini Traveller, to the unmistakably contemporary design of the first new MINI, built in 2001. Alongside the model series on display, concept vehicles and creative one-offs – from a camper van to a stretch limousine complete with whirlpool – demonstrate the astonishing variety of models produced by MINI as well as the customer-centred focus of a brand cherished around the world for its innovative design.

The brand’s illustrious heritage and adherence to a “British” attitude to life are present in the pop culture of the 1960s (as epitomised by The Beatles) and beyond. 1990s TV series Mr. Bean ensured the Mini’s large community of fans were now spread around the globe – if they weren’t already. The BMW Museum gives this cultural and historical context a platform through 20 themed areas. Visitors with an interest in a particular era and its zeitgeist will find rare accessories, films and photos, adverts and design sketches to sate their appetites. The interactive joy of today’s world and a study of innovative connectivity-related ideas set the seal on “The MINI Story”, a journey back in time through half a century of MINI history.

Opening event for all MINI fans On 28 November 2014 the BMW Museum invited all fans of the brand to the grand opening event for the exhibition. Visitors can cast an initial glance around the exhibition from 20.00 hrs and party into the early hours with like-minded people over cocktails and more. Rock band The Rifles can be trusted to conjure up the requisite atmosphere.

For further information go to: www.bmw-museum.com

Here are my recommendations for MINI UK & Overseas specialists to visit:

Lohen – lohen.co.uk

1320 Mini – 1320.co.uk

Sussex Road & Race – sussexroadandrace.co.uk

Millys Auto – millsysautos.co.uk

TWG Automotive – twgautomotive.co.uk

MiniWorks – mini-works.co.uk

RSI C6 – rsic6.com

Outmotoring – outmotoring.com

ESC Tuning – ecstuning.com

Detroit Tuned – detroittuned.com

My list is made on my own opinions and me speaking to respective companies & other owners worldwide, and this is not sponsored post for full transparency.

If you got the modding bug, don’t forget to check out JCW Adventures Store or Official eBay Store for some stickers for all generations of MINIs or R56 JCW carbon fibre exhaust tips seen on my MINI R56 JCW to support the blog & YouTube channel.

All your support over the years, and please offer that same support by following my Youtube Channel as well : )

As Always, it’s a MINI Adventure. Try to keep up & Stay Safe!

Support the blog by Sharing, Subscribing or Buying from the stores

JCW Adventures Store

Official eBay Store

JCW Adventures Youtube Channel

Facebook

Instagram

The post MINI Exhibition at BMW Museum Munich appeared first on JCW Adventures.

MINI Lifestyle Collection 2025

Ali Mir — Sun, 30 Mar 2025 16:53:47 +0000

Explore the All-New MINI JCW Lifestyle Collection – Launching April 2025

To coincide with the exciting launch of the new MINI John Cooper Works (JCW) family, MINI introduces the latest MINI JCW Lifestyle Collection – a premium range of clothing, accessories, and collectibles inspired by the unmistakable spirit of MINI motorsport and performance design. This new collection complements the current MINI Lifestyle range and features modern, high-quality items perfect for fans, collectors, and MINI drivers.

As part of the 2025 release, MINI also unveils two iconic miniature pull-back models: the MINI Cooper SE and MINI Aceman SE – perfect for toy enthusiasts and collectors.

MINI JCW Lifestyle Collection 2025 – Motorsport-Inspired Style

Rooted in the bold and high-contrast colour scheme of the John Cooper Works design, the JCW Lifestyle textiles feature the classic Black, White, and JCW Red palette. Highlights include:

JCW Logo T-Shirts – made from premium organic and recycled cotton.
JCW Logo Hoodie – ideal for cooler days, featuring standout branding.
Kids’ Organic Cotton T-Shirts – complete with red racing stripes and the MINI emblem.

These sustainable pieces deliver everyday comfort while showcasing MINI’s signature motorsport edge.

JCW Bags and Everyday Essentials

From daily use to weekend getaways, the MINI JCW bags combine function with MINI style:

JCW Logo Backpack – padded with laptop and bottle compartments.
JCW Organiser Pouch – compact with reflective detailing and a premium finish.
JCW Traveller Bag – includes removable pouch, trolley strap, and adjustable shoulder strap.

Each piece features the iconic John Cooper Works seat pattern lining, offering durability with a luxury touch.

Accessories Built for Everyday Adventure

Complete your MINI look with practical and stylish JCW accessories:

JCW Logo Keyring with enamel detailing.
Wind-tested JCW Umbrellas – available in foldable or walking stick format with reflective stripes (tested up to 120 km/h winds).
JCW Travel Mugs – available in 300ml and 500ml sizes, perfect for on-the-go coffee lovers.

MINI Wordmark Collection 2025 – Classic, Reimagined

The new MINI Wordmark Lifestyle Add-ons bring playful design and fashion-forward looks for MINI fans:

MINI Wordmark Polo Shirt – with eye-catching collar branding.
MINI Wordmark Jacket – featuring reflective MINI print for safety and style in all seasons.

MINI for the Next Generation – Kids’ Bikes & Baby Racers

For young MINI enthusiasts, the collection also includes:

MINI ALL4 Baby Bike – bright Chilli Red, suitable for ages 18+ months, with ergonomic seat and carry handle.
MINI Aluminium Balance Bike – lightweight, durable, and packed with MINI character.
MINI Baby Racer – with adjustable handlebar, white bonnet stripes, and child-safe steering for safe, fun-filled rides.

When Will the MINI JCW Lifestyle Collection Be Available?

The full MINI JCW Lifestyle Collection 2025 will be available starting 1 April 2025. Whether you’re looking for stylish MINI clothing, practical travel accessories, or gifts for MINI fans of all ages, this collection brings the brand’s bold identity to life like never before.

Here are my recommendations for MINI UK & Overseas specialist to visit:

Lohen – lohen.co.uk

1320 Mini – 1320.co.uk

Sussex Road & Race – sussexroadandrace.co.uk

Millys Auto – millsysautos.co.uk

TWG Automotive – twgautomotive.co.uk

MiniWorks – mini-works.co.uk

RSI C6 – rsic6.com

Outmotoring – outmotoring.com

ESC Tuning – ecstuning.com

Detroit Tuned – detroittuned.com

My list is made on my own opinions and me speaking to respective companies & other owners worldwide, and this is not sponsored post for full transparency.

All your support over the years, and please offer that same support by following my Youtube Channel as well : )

As Always, it’s a MINI Adventure. Try to keep up & Stay Safe!

Support the blog by Sharing, Subscribing or Buying from the stores

JCW Adventures Store

Official eBay Store

JCW Adventures Youtube Channel

Facebook

Instagram

The post MINI Lifestyle Collection 2025 appeared first on JCW Adventures.

The Big MINI Adventure 2: MINI TAKES THE STATES 2022

Ali Mir — Tue, 28 Mar 2023 17:50:46 +0000

The open road was calling, and I thought too much time had passed, so I had to head back to the USA to do another Big MINI Adventure! MINI USA planned another MINI TAKES THE STATES, so it was only right that I packed my bags and head over for my 2nd MTTS. This year’s event started in Burlington and finished in Greenville-Spartanburg, covering 1,700 miles of memories, laughs and MINI fun.

Over the next five days, over 2,000 MINI owners with over 600 MINI Cooper vehicles from across the model range will explore a total of nine states and eight cities, raising money for Best Friends Animal Society, a leading animal welfare organization dedicated to ending the euthanizing of dogs and cats in American animal shelters by 2025. Making its return after four years, the biennial MTTS trek will cover more than 1,700 miles in total. MINI owners will be travelling down an inland route from Vermont to South Carolina on state and county roads, stopping in eight cities along the way, with more than 80 pets and their owners coming for the ride. The MMCA will be present at the morning Rise & Rally events in all eight cities where MTTS stops during the week-long road trip. MINI enthusiasts in attendance can learn more about the club and sign up for more information as the club prepares to launch its official membership. More information on the club can be found at minimotoringclub.org

MINI TAKES THE STATES 2022 – July 9th to 17th – Enjoy my MINI Adventure across the Pond to Re-Unite & Rally

Day 1 – MINI TAKES THE STATES – Sign Up & Drive from Burlington Vt to Vernon, Nt

Day 2 – MINI TAKES THE STATES – We travel from Vernon, NY to Pocono PA

Day 3 – MINI TAKES THE STATES – We drive from Pocono PA to Frederick ML

Day 4 – MINI TAKES THE STATES – We drive from Frederick, MD to Roanoke, and I get to drive GP3 Number 1 owned by Nick, aka The MINI Vlog

Day 5 – MINI TAKES THE STATES – We drive from Roanoke, VA to Bristol, VA. This time I ride with Nick, aka The MINI Vlog in his MINI GP3

Day 6 – MINI TAKES THE STATES – We drive from Bristol, VA to Ashville, RR I ride with Nick, aka The MINI Vlog again in his MINI GP3 and get behind the wheel myself

Day 7 – MINI TAKES THE STATES – We drive from Asheville, NC to Spartanburg, SC in Mike’s F54 Clubman Cooper S ALL4

Day 8 – MINI TAKES THE STATES – We stay in drive Spartanburg, SC for some track action in MINIs at the BMW Performance Centre

Day 9 – MINI TAKES THE STATES – MTTS 2022 is now over, so it’s time for goodbye and taking pictures

That’s a wrap for another MINI TAKES THE STATES

Thank you, MINI USA, for everything & Memories

Briana, Mike & Nick for making it MTTS 2022 special

Looking forward to reading the comments on Youtube; all feedback is welcomed.

Please subscribe to the channel so we can help grow it together

Here are my recommendations for MINI UK & Overseas specialist to visit:

Lohen – lohen.co.uk

1320 Mini – 1320.co.uk

Sussex Road & Race – sussexroadandrace.co.uk

Millys Auto – millsysautos.co.uk

TWG Automotive – twgautomotive.co.uk

MiniWorks – mini-works.co.uk

RSI C6 – rsic6.com

Outmotoring – outmotoring.com

ESC Tuning – ecstuning.com

Detroit Tuned – detroittuned.com

My list is made on my own opinions and me speaking to respective companies & other owners worldwide, and this is not sponsored post for full transparency.

All your support over the years, and please offer that same support by following my Youtube Channel as well : )

As Always, it’s a MINI Adventure. Try to keep up & Stay Safe!

Support the blog by Sharing, Subscribing or Buying from the stores

JCW Adventures Store

Official eBay Store

JCW Adventures Youtube Channel

Facebook

Instagram

The post The Big MINI Adventure 2: MINI TAKES THE STATES 2022 appeared first on JCW Adventures.

Retrospective: Here Is My Project Car

Ali Mir — Mon, 20 Sep 2021 20:47:26 +0000

It’s time for something different, non-EURO & old school 90s vibes The idea was to buy something fun and easy to work on with build update every two to three weeks. JCW ADVENTURES will always remain, and my R56 JCW is still kicking after over 135,000 miles – More updates on that and more MINI fun with that soon as the mini-mods will continue and the Big MINI Adventures

I did manage to fulfil a lifelong dream of visiting 7 European countries and took my JCW around the infamous green hell, aka Nurburgring – This post will come later, and it’s worth the wait…

Here is my project I brought during the lockdown as I got bored and wanted something simple and easy to work on so I could learn how to do anything mechanical.

Looking forward to reading the comments on Youtube, and all feedback is welcomed.

Please subscribe to the channel so we can help grow it together

Here are my recommendations for MINI UK & Overseas specialist to visit:

Lohen – lohen.co.uk

1320 Mini – 1320.co.uk

Sussex Road & Race – sussexroadandrace.co.uk

Millys Auto – millsysautos.co.uk

TWG Automotive – twgautomotive.co.uk

MiniWorks – mini-works.co.uk

RSI C6 – rsic6.com

Outmotoring – outmotoring.com

ESC Tuning – ecstuning.com

Detroit Tuned – detroittuned.com

My list is made by my own opinions and me speaking to respective companies & other owners worldwide, and this is not sponsored post for full transparency.

All your support over the years, and please offer that same support by following my Youtube Channel as well : )

As Always, it’s a MINI Adventure. Try to keep up & Stay Safe!

Support the blog by Sharing, Subscribing or Buying from the stores

JCW Adventures Store

Official eBay Store

JCW Adventures Youtube Channel

Facebook

Instagram

The post Retrospective: Here Is My Project Car appeared first on JCW Adventures.

MINI F-Series LCI 2: Everything New On The Second Facelift 3rd Gen MINI

Ali Mir — Tue, 13 Jul 2021 16:50:20 +0000

Sometimes change is good, and to move forward, change needs to be done but hark back to the yesteryears. F-series MINI has been updated again to prolong its life cycle before the 4th Gen MINI arrives in 2023/2024. So here is the full low down on everything that has been changed, updated, nip and tucked or improved in the 3rd Generation MINI model line up.

Here is a full overview of what has changed in this second facelift for the F-Series Model Line up (3-door Hatch, 5-door Hatch, Electric MINI Cooper SE and Convertible):

Simpler to the new front end bumper design
LED headlights now as standard equipment with black/dechrome insides
New side scuttles in a new design
Redesigned rear bumper, LED rear lights in Union Jack design are now standard.
Get Funky with The Multitone Roof – San Marino Blue through Pearly Aqua to Jet Black
New body colours and light-alloy wheels
Newly-designed interior surfaces and air outlets
Redesigned steering wheels with the option to be heated
Multifunctional instrument display with 5-inch colour display
Central instrument cluster with new Piano Black high-gloss surround, 8.8-inch display and modern graphics display as standard
Sports seats in new Light Chequered colour
New Ambient Light option with extended features
Adaptive chassis now features frequency-selective damping
Electric parking brake available for the first time
Active Cruise Control now with Stop & Go function
Greater safety thanks to new lane departure warning and bad-weather light
Piano Black exterior with extended features
New equipment packages allow for even more individualisation

MINI LCI 2 Unique Updates

New Paint Colours

The choice of body paint finishes includes three new colours: Rooftop Grey metallic, Island Blue metallic & Zesty Yellow.

Multi-Tone Roof

The new Multi-tone roof features a colour gradient from San Marino Blue through Pearly Aqua to Jet Black, created with a new painting technique and extending from the windscreen frame to the rear. For this purpose, the three colour shades are applied one after the other in a wet-on-wet painting process. This paint finish, known as Spray Tech, is fully integrated into the mechanised production process at the MINI Oxford plant in the UK.

New Light Weight Wheels/Alloys

New Tentacle Spoke black design, in Scissor Spoke design previously only available for the MINI Sidewalk Convertible, and in a black version of the Pedal Spoke variant previously introduced exclusively for the 60 Years Edition models. 18-inch light-alloy wheels in Pulse Spoke design, with a concentric bi-colour look that creates particularly impressive design accents and John Cooper Works light-alloy wheels in Circuit Spoke black design.

Black Pack

Black Beltline, Black Headlights, Badges and various chrome trim is now available from the factory in piano black finish.

Interior Updates

New to the range are sports seats in the Light Chequered colour variant, which perfectly complement the Zesty Yellow exterior paint finish. The familiar Black Pearl fabric quality is given a new, expressive check look in hallmark British MINI style. The seams at the transition to the black imitation leather of the seat bolsters feature a colour scheme that matches the fabric
of the seat surfaces.

The design of the Colour Line, which was previously selectable as an individual option, is now harmoniously matched to the respective seat upholstery colour. Chrome has been reduced in the trim on the inside to piano black along, and the air vents have been completely redesigned and are now embedded to be flush with the interior surface. New Silver Chequered and MINI Yours Aluminium variant dash trims.

The new 8.8-inch colour touchscreen display has touch-sensitive favourite buttons, and Piano Black high-gloss surfaces are now standard features. The All-new Ambient Light option is a new surface design with laser engraving that optimises the appearance of the LED light ring surrounding the central instrument. The centre console now features an all-black surface in conjunction with a navigation system. The new Sports steering wheel has new buttons, functions and heating options, which works well with the optional digital dash.

Power

All engines now include a petrol engine particulate filter; all model variants comply with the Euro 6d emission standard.

The 3-cylinder engines, each with a capacity of 1.5 litres, are available in three versions with outputs ranging from 55 kW/75 hp to 75 kW/102 hp and 100 kW/136 hp. The 2.0-litre 4-cylinder engine generates a maximum output of 1131 kW/178 hp or 170 kW/231 hp in the two John Cooper Works models. A six-speed manual is still available as standard and a 7-speed Steptronic transmission with double clutch. The John Cooper Works models have 8-speed Steptronic transmission.

The annoying part will be the Cooper S is actually down on power due to emissions from 189 down to 178 bhp.

Handling

New suspension brings handling and rides comfort together to amplify that go-karting handles as the new adaptive suspension, which are continuous frequency-selective damping. An additional valve acting on the traction side takes over, smoothing out sudden pressure peaks within the damper within 50 to 100 milliseconds.

The proof will be in the driving, and I am still divided on the styling with MINI as it not a direction I have like with the 3rd Gen MINI.

I am just hoping the 4th Gen MINI is more driver-focused and less artificial as it will the last version petrol-powered one before the brand goes fully electric by 2030. Hopefully, it won’t be a bittersweet moment towards electric avenue….

Here are my recommendations for MINI UK & Overseas specialist to visit:

Lohen – lohen.co.uk

1320 Mini – 1320.co.uk

Sussex Road & Race – sussexroadandrace.co.uk

Millys Auto – millsysautos.co.uk

TWG Automotive – twgautomotive.co.uk

MiniWorks – mini-works.co.uk

RSI C6 – rsic6.com

Outmotoring – outmotoring.com

ESC Tuning – ecstuning.com

Detroit Tuned – detroittuned.com

My list is made by my own opinions and me speaking to respective companies & other owners worldwide, and this is not sponsored post for full transparency.

All your support over the years, and please offer that same support by following my Youtube Channel as well : )

As Always, it’s a MINI Adventure. Try to keep up & Stay Safe!

Support the blog by Sharing, Subscribing or Buying from the stores

JCW Adventures Store

Official eBay Store

JCW Adventures Youtube Channel

Facebook

Instagram

The post MINI F-Series LCI 2: Everything New On The Second Facelift 3rd Gen MINI appeared first on JCW Adventures.

Automotive Art: Pop Bang Colour Draws My MINI R56 JCW

Ali Mir — Sun, 28 Feb 2021 20:41:50 +0000

Art & Cars are both debated topics, but when they come together, something magically happens. Pop Bang Colour did that with my MINI R56 JCW by bringing the love and passion I have for it by interviewing me whilst drawing my JCW.

If you don’t know who is POP BANG COLOUR is, let me fill you in…

Ian Cook is a contemporary British artist renowned for creating artwork using radio-controlled cars, car tyres and toy car wheels #PaintwithCars. He also creates #ContinuousCar drawings with one continuous line, commissions, school workshops and team building events, paint events and pop bang car vinyl wraps.

Painting with cars is quite simple – paint is applied onto the canvas, and the cars and wheels are run through the paint. However, prior to any painting being created, there is a great deal of preparation in choosing the correct image/s, doing a few tweaks (flipped, removing backgrounds if requested etc.) or mocking up a completely new image; this is what the client requires.

He a little back story on him:

Graduated with a first-class degree in Fine Art Painting, Ian has a quirky edge and has always described his artwork as ‘a friendly explosion of colour’. His unique process of painting started for 3 main reasons;

1. Car and motorsports enthusiast

2. He has trained and always wanted to be an artist

3. For Christmas in 2006, he was bought a radio-controlled car and was told: “Don’t take it down the studio and don’t get paint on it!” and so he decided to do just that.

Since 2007, Ian has combined his passion for cars and art, creating various artworks and projects. Highlights include painting a portrait of Lewis Hamilton the size of a 3-storey building, breaking a Guinness World record and having artwork featured on Top Gear.

Ian and his fleet of paint-splattered cars can be found at popular motoring shows and events in the UK and internationally when not painting in the POPBANGCOLOUR studio.

Artworks are generally created to commission or appeal to the audience who are likely to be at the event, whether at BTCC, Goodwood, Silverstone, or elsewhere.

His big break started with the first artwork he created live in a shopping centre in Wolverhampton. This was covered by the local media and then picked up by the national media. This led to featuring at various motoring events when at the 2008 Goodwood Festival of Speed, an employee from M&C Saatchi spotted Ian’s work…

He has worked with a lot of automotive brands, Car Events and appeared on BBC One.

His skill and work are distinctive, and you have definitely seen his work without even realising it!

If you want to check out more of his work, here are his details:

Website – Pop Bang Colour

Instagram – Pop Bang Colour

Facebook – Pop Bang Colour

Twitter – Pop Bang Colour

Here is my interview and live drawing with Ian Cook, aka Pop Bang Colour

Any comments and subscribes to my Youtube Channel would be much appreciated as I want to grow the channel to help other MINI owners out worldwide and bring the community together.

If you want your car drawn to drop him a message, he will get back to you on a time and date.

The cost was £75, which included the drawing being sent to you plus you’re supporting a British artist!

If you want to modify your MINI like mine – Here is my Ultimate R56 MINI Modding Bible – Click here for my guide

Hopefully, this guide will give you a stepping stone to find the perfect MINI, and I look forward to the MINI Adventures.

Here are my recommendations for MINI UK & Overseas specialist to visit for repairs, upgrades or parts:

Lohen – lohen.co.uk

1320 Mini – 1320.co.uk

Sussex Road & Race – sussexroadandrace.co.uk

Millys Auto – millsysautos.co.uk

TWG Automotive – twgautomotive.co.uk

MiniWorks – mini-works.co.uk

RSI C6 – rsic6.com

Outmotoring – outmotoring.com

ESC Tuning – ecstuning.com

Detroit Tuned – detroittuned.com

My list is made by my own opinions and me speaking to respective companies & other owners worldwide, and this is not a sponsored post for full transparency.

All your support over the years, and please offer that same support by following my Youtube Channel as well : )

As Always, it’s a MINI Adventure try to keep up & Stay Safe!

Support the blog by Sharing, Subscribing or Buying from the stores

JCW Adventures Store

Official eBay Store

JCW Adventures Youtube Channel

Facebook

Instagram

The post Automotive Art: Pop Bang Colour Draws My MINI R56 JCW appeared first on JCW Adventures.

MINI Car Tips: How Look After Your Car In Storage, Lockdown or Winter

Ali Mir — Wed, 20 May 2020 17:00:05 +0000

This one for all the car people out there on how to store your car correctly! I will go over the winter, lockdown, scorn or long periods of no use tips to avoid any issues. We all love our pride and joys as they mean the worlds to use and they are an extension of us and more than a piece of metal that takes us from A to B as they deserve our time and love. These tips are here to help keep it running and tip-top during periods of no use, so it doesn’t end up costing you or resulting in a time wasted with waiting for a mechanic or expensive trip to the dealer.

Here are my tips on how to look after your MINI during non-use:

Battery

As with all modern cars now the power and state of the battery are key for the starting and all electronic in the car with that being said, there are so many ways to look after it.

Invest in a trickle charger to keep the battery topped up that way it doesn’t die and doesn’t cause any faults warning lights and keeps the alarm active

There are two types of chargers:

Dumb – Old school charge which will top up the battery at a cheaper cost as they are similar like any charger but doesn’t know when the battery is fully charged, so it’s up to you to stop it from overcharging

Smart – Moden advance charging unit which adjusts for different types of the battery from acid to lithium so can be used on any car brand regardless of the type of battery. The smart unit is a ‘plugin and forget’ as it will top of the battery then stop charging and will monitor the charge level and turn back on when needed when the battery drops down to a certain level.

Obviously, with both systems there is a price difference ranging from £30 for dumb and £80 above for smart chargers – It will depend on how often you will keep the car on the charge to know which one to buy and maintenance and time should play in the critical factor. Personally, I use a CTEK trickle charger which is the best one you get, and it has never failed me after five years of owning one.

I understand that some people will say let the car idle for 15 minutes which will charge the battery is true. But this will use fuel and depending on your country you can not leave a car unattended when it’s idling, and it’s not a good idea to idle a vehicle in a closed garage due to carbon monoxide risks. I would rather be warm inside and getting on with life as the smart charger did it’s a thing over the winter or eating ice cream in the summer so take your pick.

Tyres

Often overlooked by people as you just expected not to do anything to them, which is a fault of many motorists as they forget it’s the only thing keeping you on the road!

If your car is going to sitting for a long while then pump up your tyres to 15 psi above what they should be, e.g. standard psi 34 – storing psi 49 – this stops flat spots on your tyre as deforming under the constant load of the car on them when stationary. Where possible to move the vehicle forward or back to stop flat stops even more periodically. Leave a note on your steering wheel or dash to remind you to deflate to correct pressure when your car out from storage to drive. If you have more money, you can buy tyre protectors, but you have to jack up the car and place them underneath or invest in a scissor lift.

The age and condition of the tyre play a major factor as well as having cracks, or an old tyre is dangerous as like any rubber over time it degrades, making it unsafe. Use your free time to check for any nicks, cracks, bulges on the inside or outside facing of the tyre. To check the age of the tyre is very simple as it’s a legal requirement of all tyre manufactures. If you look at the tyre sidewall, there will be the manufacture date code such 1519 – where 15 denotes the week of manufacture and 19 represents the year, meaning the tyre was manufactured on the 15th week of 2019. Always a good thing to look when buying new tyres just in general so you can maximise your time with the tyre.

Fluids – Oil, Coolant, Brakes & Fuel

Checking all the fluids are another major point as they key the car running how it should when it fires up from storage, so its best to check their levels, condition and age.

The oil will be a simple one as a dipstick, or the colour of the oil will tell you, but if it hasn’t been changed in 6 months to 1 year, this would be time to change it or learn how to do it as it’s off the road. Once again like tyres or any perishable items oil does go off as it degrades over time so it doesn’t matter if you have done 5 miles or 8,000 miles in a year it will still need to be changed. Remember, £50 of oil is cheaper than a new engine…

Coolant is slightly different to oil as you can visually check it, but it’s harder to tell as you have to think when it was changed/flushed or do a test using coolant test strips which tell you the health of your coolant. If the coolant hasn’t been changed in 2-3 years, look to change it or learn how to do it as it’s off the road as this can be done with ease on a driveway or garage using simple tools.

If the car is stored over the winter inside or outside having a good level of anti-freeze mixture will stop any coolant from expanding and cracking the coolant tank or lines. Same can be said to the washer fluid as it can expanding and cracking the washer fluid bottle due to no anti-freeze additive.

Brake fluid is similar to coolant as well to check it for issues and condition along with assessing whether to change or not.

If you can leave the car in gear only and put stop behind the rear wheels as brakes and especially the handbrake can cease if they are left on over prolonged time which is an issue you don’t want.

Check your brake discs if your car is kept outside as them being steel will cause them to rust.

Often debated topic of how much fuel should you put into your tank when it’s being stored? The simple answer is either full or near on close to top to avoid any issues with the fuel tank or lines. Having fuel in the system stops the riot in the lines or tank and avoids are moisture or oxidation in the fuel or system.

Exterior

Wash your car to remove any dirt or grime etc. to avoid any rust or unwanted mould growth and dry it correctly at points to avoid any issues with changes with the weather.

If you have a car cover, put it on after full cleaning and drying the car all over to avoid any scratches or moisture retention from the cover.

Convertibles or roadster make sure you top is up to stop creases in the fabric.

Interior

Clean the interior and if possible, make sure there is no damp or spillage on any surfaces as the car. Once it’s locked, it will be breeding ground for any bacteria over time. So clean appropriately either by hand or wet vac and disinfectant kill any unwanted smells or bacteria.

Do open the car periodically to check on any smells or any issues within the cabin.

Also, another perfect time to change a thing that people always forget about it! The cabin air filter which is easily removed by pulling two tabs and inserting a new filter which is a 5-minute job and cheap part buy at £15. Not replacing it every year damages your air-con or heating system just any dirty air filter as your restricting it’s operating efficiency.

If you have a leather dash or surfaces I would advise on covering it as the heat from the sun will cause it to be damaged, crack or peel away if it’s left outside in the summer under prolonged heat.

Getting back on the road

Once you want to take your car back on the road, make sure to follow these procedures to give it the best chance to get it going.

Make sure to unplug your battery chargers and reset the tyres to the correct pressures and reset the tyre monitor sensor, so you don’t get the dash warning later.

Check your oil and coolant to make sure they haven’t dropped before think about starting as the last you want to start a car with no major fluids.

I advise this as there might have been an unnoticed leak or the under trays are hiding a major leak that your unaware or not noticed.

Turn the key one click or press the start button once to allow the fuel pump to prime, which will make an audible noise and let it do it for about 10 seconds then start the car.

A gentle drive around without going for high revs till after about 5 minutes and in the time do test your brakes as the pressure will be low the first time you press them.

Having OBD reader will look at any error codes that pop up and allow you to work out everything from a bulb out or emissions issue.

Hopefully, these tips will keep your MINI in tip-top condition now given it’s not being used or limited usage.

I have started making videos on YouTube to help the MINI community that cherish and love deeply.

So from one MINI owner to another, please subscribe to the channel, so I grow it and help MINI owners all across the world.

The below video is the first of many videos to help MINI owners – I outline on how to maintain an N14/N18 engined MINI.

I am aiming to do a new Youtube Video every month about all things MINI from maintenance to showcasing the best MINIs out there in the MINI community.

If you got the modding bug don’t forget to check out JCW Adventures Store or Official eBay Store for some stickers for all generations of MINIs or R56 JCW carbon fibre exhaust tips as seen on my MINI R56 JCW.

All your support over the years has kept the blog going and made it what it is.

So thank you deeply straight from my heart for being a supporter of JCW Adventures.

As Always it’s a MINI Adventure try to keep up & Stay Safe!

Support the blog by Sharing, Subscribing or Buying from the stores

JCW Adventures Store

Official eBay Store

JCW Adventures Youtube Channel

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The post MINI Car Tips: How Look After Your Car In Storage, Lockdown or Winter appeared first on JCW Adventures.

Do It For The Gram: #MINIMAY Photo Challenge

Ali Mir — Fri, 01 May 2020 11:32:04 +0000

As the world has changed with technology, it has bought a lot of people together from around the world. Instagram has allowed us to share our passions with the worldwide and show our appreciation and support of one another in the digital world. So let’s bring the community together and share our pride and joys across Instagram so here is #MINIMAY Photo challenge.

The idea of the challenge is to get MINI owners across the world to showcase their MINIs for the world to see. During these times, this will allow the MINI community to grow a strong bond, new friends made, and MINI owners aided.

Naturally, the photo challenge starts in May and will end at the end of the month and please make sure to use the hashtag #MINIMAY in all your photos. I will be looking through the hashtags and share the best picture I see that given day on my own Instagram – D4rkhorse

Hopefully, this will help fight the boredom with the lockdown and with that, I have started making videos on YouTube to help the MINI community that cherish and love deeply.

So from one MINI owner to another, please subscribe to the channel, so I grow it and help MINI owners all across the world.

The below video is the first of many videos to help MINI owners – I outline on how to maintain an N14/N18 engined MINI.

If you got the modding bug don’t forget to check out JCW Adventures Store or Official eBay Store for some stickers for generations of MINIs or R56 JCW carbon fibre exhaust tips as seen on my MINI R56 JCW.

All your support over the years has kept the blog going and made it what it is.

So thank you deeply straight from my heart for being a supporter of JCW Adventures.

As Always it’s a MINI Adventure try to keep up & Stay Safe!

Ali

Support the blog by Sharing, Subscribing or buying from the stores

JCW Adventures Store

Official eBay Store

JCW Adventures Youtube Channel

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The post Do It For The Gram: #MINIMAY Photo Challenge appeared first on JCW Adventures.

Digital Racers: Best Car Games With MINIs

Ali Mir — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 11:11:58 +0000

Owning a MINI is all the community around it, and it’s the only car brand to come with friends included. MINI owners share a universal love of this four-wheel wonder which has changed our lives for the better as many different characters, journeys and memories to share a lifetime in the open world. The world has now changed as we know it due to Coronavirus (COVID-19), but the digital world is still there. We all can remain connected with the one love that we all share our MINIs so here is a rundown of the great car games with MINIs in them to keep those smiles per hours going.

This list will include a mix of PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, Stadia & Mobile so you can play on your favourite gaming platform.

The Crew 2 – PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC & Stadia

The Crew 2 is an open-world game that has land, sea and air cover as you can switch between any time of vehicle anytime you want to give you the vehicle fix while you’re stuck indoors. The open-world is a mix of the US states in a large map which can be covered by a variety of vehicles including cars, motorcycles, boats, and aeroplanes.

The game features a nonlinear story that follows the unnamed player character as they go to become a racing icon in the United States by winning in all racing disciplines available in the game. There are four disciplines: Street Racing, Off-Road, Freestyle and Pro Racing. In Street Racing, the player is assisted by Latrell. In Off-Road, the player is assisted by Tucker “Tuck” Morgan. In Freestyle, the player is assisted by Sofia and her father. In Pro Racing, the player is assisted by Alexis.

MINIs in the game:

2010 – R56 MINI Cooper S

2013 – R60 Mini Cooper S Countryman All4

Both have a rallycross edition to them, and another plus to the Crew 2 is that you modify your car to your liking with visuals to fully race car with engine mods etc.

Need For Speed: Heat – PlayStation 4, Xbox One & PC

NFS: Heat returns to it’s rooted with the latest iteration with racers and police but this interesting take on it all. By day is a certified league of professional racing to climb up the ladder and then switch over to the darkness of the night it’s illegal street racing and avoid the police. The police are on the hunt for street racers, so they won’t let you go easy and they will hunt you down whether your cruising around or in a race and the gloves will be off.

Heat’s key feature is modifying your car to your dreams right down to the colour to the actual exhaust note of the car which can be done in the game or through the mobile NFS Heat Studio app. Your car can also be modified to different disciplines ranging from road racing to drifting so you can have the edge over the competition both online and offline.

The games start with you the player arriving in Palm City for the Speedhunter Showdown, a citywide exhibition which draws in racers to compete in legally sanctioned races throughout the day, and illegal street races throughout the night. Lt. Frank Mercer, leader of the police department’s High-Speed Task Force, announces his intent to ruthlessly pursue and arrest all street racers in the city. Lucas Rivera, a local mechanic and retired street racer, sells the player their first car, helps the player enter their first Showdown race, and becomes their mechanic and mentor for much of the game. Lucas’s younger sister, Ana Rivera (Ana Marte), is a street racer whose crew recently disbanded after a task force raid nearly killed one of her friends.

MINI in the game:

2017 – F60 Mini Cooper S Countryman All4

Gran Turismo Sport – Playstation 4

The lastest run in the longest-running Playstation exclusive real driving simulator from Polyphony Digital on the PS4. This is not your arcade racer but more of sim so your inputs will need to be like how they would be in real life; otherwise, you will crash or spin out. Gran Turismo has always tried to blend the line between real life and the digital world, so there are real tracks, cars and competitions which have FIA approved around the world. The tweaks to your car are all about the suspension, aero, gearing setup etc like you would have in real life in order to gain that extra second on lap time.

Gran Turismo Sport has VR for a feature which is cool to look around cars and there is photo mode to get your clicks to make the best images around the various locations and scenes. Gran Turismo will receive one-off concept cars made by manufactures exclusively to the game which will not be found elsewhere like the Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo.

GT Sport doesn’t have a story mode or anything is just go out there and race on real or original tracks and go compete online to win to be the best and actually become a real racing driver.

MINIs in the game:

MINI Clubman Vision Gran Turismo Concept

1965 – Mini-Cooper ‘S’

2005 – R53 Mini Cooper S

GRID – PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC & Stadia

This is another return to beloved franchise but more of reboot to bringing back white knuckle bumper to bumper racing. GRID was created by the Codemasters who made the TOCA, Colin Mcrae, DIRT & F1 s they know how to make a great car game.

GRID covers the following disciplines Touring, Stock, Tuner & Invitational which ranges the cars from Hot Hatches to F1 to bring out your inner Stig. The game has an arcade feel to as it allows some liberalities as there is a rewind feature which lets you go back to where you ran out of talent then move forward from correcting your mistake. There is a mix of racing from the day, night and different weather effects so there plenty of locations on the drive on through your career.

There is only visual customisation with liveries on the vehicles and setup of suspension etc to make the most of laps times.

MINIs in the game:

2012 – R56 Mini John Cooper Works

1965 – Mini-Cooper ‘S’

Driveclub – PS4

This one on the list is one of my personal favourite car games of all time. Driveclub gave you all the cars you could dream of and made you feel like you were driving them with the sounds and visuals. There is an arcade feel to the driving, but that was built in to give you some fun straight away so the words easy to learn and hard to master come to mind.

The car list is something to lust about as there is everything from Hot hatches to hypercars, but there are no mods just changing the colour or the liveries.

Driveclub makes up for the lack of changes with the weather effects in the game ranging from sunny days to snow. Along with the best locations in each corner of the world, so one race your racing through the Scotland highlands to Tokyo Turnpikes with a fantastic level of details with lighting, backdrops and the most realistic cars sounds ever with backfires, deeper noise echoing in turns with in-car views outlaying every single stitch in the Ferrari 458 speciale.

Another feature that was added later on was the DLC of having to drive on two wheels if that tickles your fancy with Drive Club Bikes along with the paid-for upgrade to play in VR for more sensory overload.

MINIs in the game:

2013 – R56 Mini GP2

Forza Motorsport 7 – Xbox One & PC

A Microsoft exclusive that runs with the leader of the pack Gran Turismo with giving you real racing to hoon your skills in the digital with fastest cars on the street to every series of racing on the track.

Forza Motorsport 7 features over 700 cars—including new Forza Edition cars, most of which have been brought over from Forza Horizon 3—and more than 200 different configurations to race on across 32 locations at launch, including all from Forza Motorsport 6; a fictional street circuit in Dubai is one of the new circuits and several tracks returning from Forza Motorsport 4 including Maple Valley Raceway, Mugello Circuit and Suzuka Circuit. Two features that are new to the Motorsport title include dynamic weather which changes over the course of the race and customisable drivers.

Don’t be brushed off by this sim racer as it can be tailored around skill level as you can a lot of driving aids on like it show the racing line as a minimum to auto braking for corners to help you learn cars and tracks the easy way.

Most of these games do have an online feature but Xbox wins hands down on the community given the number of laughs I have had in lobbies and racing on the track.

MINIs in the game:

1965 – Mini Cooper S

1965 – Mini Cooper S Forza Edition

2012 – R56 Mini John Cooper Works

2013 – R56 Mini John Cooper Works GP

2013 – R56 Mini John Cooper Works GP Forza Edition

2014 – R60 Mini Monster Energy All4 Racing X-Raid

Forza Horizon 4 – Xbox One & PC

Another open-world car game with an arcade feel, but this includes real cars with added FUN to the world as you go about racing for money, prizes and doing ridiculous with cars like racing a train or Vulcan bomber to a finish point. The aim here is to buy and drive your favourite car in open-world which changes through the seasons yes you hear me right seasons, so it changes throughout your time from summer to snow-filled winter. Every type of racing is here from circuit racing to drag racing on a frozen lake and that’s just the start with the DLC adding more depth and madness to the mix like LEGO world where you can drive lego versions of the Bugatti Chiron.

Whatever car you can imagine it’s in the game ranging from James Bond’s DB5 to V10 howl of the Lexus LFA. If any of those cars don’t tickle your fancy you can modify to your heart’s content by taking a Land Rover Defender and shove in big V8 race motor and change it to rear-wheel drive then modify the bodywork or paint to any colour want.

The game is continuously updated for free and with paid DLC of new cars or races so the fun will always continue until the next iteration comes out.

MINIs in the game:

1965 – MINI Cooper S Traveller

1965 – LEGO Version MINI Cooper S

2009 – R56 MINI John Cooper Works

2012 – R56 MINI John Cooper Works GP

2014 – R60 MINI X-Raid All4 Racing Countryman

2018 – F57 MINI John Cooper Works Convertible

2018 – F60 MINI John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4

2018 – MINI X-raid John Cooper Works Buggy

Dirt Rally 2.0 – PS4, Xbox One & PC

Codemasters worked their magic as they always do with car games as they made the legendary Colin Mcrae rally games.

Dirt Rally 2.0 is focused on rallying and rallycross across timed stage events on tarmac and off-road terrain in varying weather conditions. The locations for races are in Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Poland, Spain and the United States, Finland, Germany, Greece, Monte Carlo, Sweden and Wales. There are remastered versions of the stages included in the original Dirt Rally.

The car roster covers 50 cars: World Rallycross Supercars, historic rally cars from the 1960s through the 1980s, Groups A, B and R rally cars, and modern rally cars from the 1990s to the late 2010s.

There is a new weather modelling system changes the level of grip, visibility and the surface of the stages degrades as more cars pass over a stage. The level of detail with damages not only be visual but also mechanical effect so have to fix a race without a wheel or broken gearbox.

MINIs in the game:

1965 – MINI Cooper S

2018 – XITE Racing F56 Mini Cooper SX1

Gear.Club Unlimited 2 – Nintendo Switch

The game is an arcade-style racer which uses the switch controllers to its advantage with the face buttons are used for braking and accelerating. The game has local split-screen with online multiplayer covering more than 250 different races across the four main environments and over 50 licensed cars.

The game includes a story mode as well as a Club feature they can be shared with friends and challenge rival clubs across the world. There is a garage feature so players can upgrade and customise any model of car from the paint and bodywork, or change the performance with engine tuning.

MINIs in the game:

2015 – F56 MINI John Cooper Works

CSR Racing 2 – Mobile (Andriod/iOS)

Custom street racing 2 is a free to play drag racing game on mobile devices. The game is split into five tiers, with each tier introducing progressively faster opposition and vehicles. To move on to a new tier, the player must race and beat the crew boss for the level. After beating the boss of each level, the player will be challenged to a high stakes rematch to which if you win again you win the boss’s car. However, if the player loses, they must give back the gold won from the previous boss race.

The car list ranges from hot hatches to hypercars for straight-line drag races as the racing is limited to 1/4 mile or 1/2 mile races. The game focuses on timing gear changes and use of the nitrous upgrade by tapping the screen, which allows a low barrier of entry to the game so anyone can play.

MINIs in the game:

2015 – F56 MINI Cooper S

That’s my list of car games to get you through the lockdown and I hope to meet some of you online and keep the MINI community going online. If there is any that you know, please chime in the comments or reach out to me on social media.

Gamer Tag Playstation: AM_AUTOS

Gamer Tag Xbox: AMAUTOS

If anyone needs me during this difficult time, please do not hesitate to reach over social media and over the time of the lockdown, I will be reaching out to the community to keep all of us moving forward.

Hope to see you at the next corner for the next MINI Adventure…

Ali

Founder of JCW Adventures

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Back To The Future: Electric MINI Cooper SE Review

Ali Mir — Mon, 02 Mar 2020 19:29:56 +0000

The original Mini was created to solve the problem of mobility to the mass in an oil fuel crisis in 1959. Fast forward 61 years, and we have come around to the full circle, but this time we have to save our resources and environment around us. MINI’s new mission is to go full electric brand within the next 10 years by 2030 and to spear that change is the fully Electric MINI Cooper SE. This latest model in the line up is designed to make the charge into the future with some fun. The big question for this new and evolved MINI will be it the loveable friend we all know and memory or will it be clinical and robotic-like the future holds as we bid farewell to the combustion engine bows in 2035. Jump in, buckle up and take a ride with me into the future…

MINI UK team invited Rob & me to the factory for the all Electric model – MINI Cooper SE UK launch to see what we thought of this new model which we were a truly honoured.

The day started with us arriving at MINI Plant Oxford to meet the MINI UK Event and product team to get an overview of the event and all the details on the electric MINI.

MINI showed us a cutaway of the Electric MINI Cooper SE so we could see the motor and the battery pack in all its glory.

Embracing the shell of the MINI was the Electric Motor packing 135 kW/ (181 hp) and 270 Nm (199 lb-ft) which is encased in a cage for crash safety reasons.

The 32.6 kWh battery forms a T shape in the shell running from the transmission tunnel and fuel tank space from traditional F56 MINI and gives a Range: 124 – 144 miles (WLTP) – 235 – 270 km (NEDC).

The MINI Cooper SE weight penalty is 145kg and rides 15mm higher but has 30 mm lower centre of gravity due to the batteries.

Joining a small select group of people we started the day off with a plant tour learning about how the MINI is manufactured with the tour guide and management proudly explaining the accomplishments of using the same production line for both the electric MINI and It’s petrol brother. However, the group (including myself) was currently too fixated on spotting one of the first MINI GP3’s going down the line, having the massive rear wing fitted – the irony!

MINI UK Product Manager gave us a presentation outlining the MINI Cooper SE spec and how the day would go with our routes and everything we could possibly need to know.

Rob & I were handed our lanyard for the event outlining which are MINI we would be in for our run scenic drive through the heart of the Cotswolds to the Thyme Hotel for a late lunch. This would allow a mix of road types to experience in every scenario possible over 45 miles. After lunch, it was the same 45-mile journey back to the plant before heading home for the day.

Rob took the wheel for the first, so I sat passenger ready to see what it would like as back seat driver. This gave us time to take some pictures along the route and talk about the experience given I have worked at an electric go-karting track for over 6 years now as a part-time weekend job, and this would be Rob’s first drive in an electric power vehicle.

Rob’s impression of the all Electric MINI Cooper SE:

I wanted to share my thoughts on the vehicle, especially as this was my first time experiencing an electric car. Straight away, I wasn’t even sure if I’d turned the car on, after some slight confusion and a notification of a chime to confirm I had, I selected drive and the very first thing that became clear, was the lack of mechanical components, no clunk of metal from a clutch or gearbox, just a very smooth pull away from standstill with a slight buzzing sound artificially pumped through the speakers. The Electric MINI has 4 different modes; Eco Plus, Eco, Medium and Sport, each with their own characteristics. 0-62mph in 7.3 seconds while 0-37mph in 3.9 seconds. The car rides slightly higher due to the weight of the batteries, for most buyers I think this will be negligible and yes, while the petrol head in you will scream that this equates to a higher centre of gravity, I found that driving in a world surround by SUV derived vehicles, it means that you’re a bit more noticeable and may just escape the dazzling of oncoming motorists with LED headlights. Another plus for the height is the way it handles bumps and potholes, two things that litter the UK’s road network, especially the beloved British B roads, the MINI no longer seems to crash and bang over these monstrosities, while the suspension is still stiff and MINI like, the bumps are more welcomed with a slight thud rather than a bang.

The second thing that I found immediately noticeable was the regenerative breaking, configurable at two levels. The more severe level works at -0.19m/s2 while the less severe brake energy recuperation level, which I preferred and would liken to a light press on the brake pedal operates at -0.11m/s2. While in the more aggressive stage of energy recuperation, one-pedal driving is achievable, however, I found myself having to reanalysis and adjust my driving style as I was approaching traffic lights and coming to a stop with 3/4 car lengths before actually reaching the white line.

10 miles or so into the driving experience I was still very open-minded about the MINI electric, some of the characteristics of the car are certainly different from a motor engine, however different isn’t necessarily a bad thing and it’s what MINI is all about!! Being electric, I was well aware of the instant torque and acceleration these electric cars have (my most anticipated category to test). Once my foot was pressed on the accelerator there was slight delay before the MINI took off, surprisingly similar delay to a vehicle with a combustion engine; I can only put this down to being deliberate as I’d imagine instant torque and acceleration could end up positioning you into the rear bumper of the car in front! – Which isn’t a good look for anyone.

After the initial delay the car took off in true MINI style, 30mph was effortless, 40 and 50mph? Piece of cake! As 60mph hit, I could start to feel the characteristics of an electric car show, characteristics that I have read about so much. While still torquey you could feel the power starting to plateau; I backed off reaching the speed limit. With a top speed of 93mph, you can tell this is a motor (pun intended) that doesn’t like to be pushed above 60mph. Turning off the slip road and onto the Great British B road, it was clear this MINI is most happy between 25-55mph with that iconic MINI personality oozing out between 30-50mph. Suddenly all these advancements in technology that have come together to create an environmentally friendly car could be used to have a lot of MINI fun! The instant mid-range torque with front-wheel drive pulling the MINI quicker out of a bend than anything I have experienced before, the regenerative braking system is allowing me to leave it late as possible, just dabbing the break before entering a corner and there it was, the smile that only a MINI can produce! I was reminded of the McLaren P1, a hypercar that moulded and manipulated hybrid technology to push the supercar further than ever before, using electric power to aid petrol in the pursuit of speed and efficiency. I felt like I was now in the same realms of the P1 using a technology originally designed for efficiency and conservation in the opposite manner and having a lot of fun in the process.

The electric MINI has an all-new traction control system which hasn’t been fitted to a car before. Unlike traditional traction control systems, which are reactive, this system with the torque of an electric car appears to be pre-emptive eliminating wheel spin. (Perfect for snow and wet weather I thought). During the presentation, it was even suggested to try and spin the wheels. During the driving experience, I pulled into a lay-by to take some photos. Upon leaving the lay-by, I chose the exit that was made up of loose stones, rumble and bits of tarmac. Waiting for a clear road the anticipation built, I put my foot to the floor, and sure enough, the MINI took off, no wheel spin, no struggle for traction. Absolutely nothing! All on a surface that Top Gear would call mildly moist. To say I was impressed was an understatement.

Halfway into the driving experience, I had to perform an unplanned emergency brake, exiting a corner I could see a pheasant on the verge of the road, they are often known for stepping out in front of cars, which indeed this one did. I’m sure MINI UK wouldn’t be very impressed with what might have resulted in, well something I’d rather not think about, the hazards came on, and we stopped safely, the pheasant crossed the road, and we carried on with our journey. The reason for sharing this is because, while there is no gearbox to downshift or engine braking to slow the vehicle, I was very impressed with just how sharp and responsive the brakes are. As the old racing saying goes, you’re only as quick as your brakes, and those brakes are indeed very sharp but smooth.

The interior of the MINI is very much kin to the current facelift F56 model with just a few changes to accommodate the options for electric vehicle settings such as the regenerative braking system toggle switch. The most significant change is the oval-shaped digital dash display above the steering wheel. Providing how much power is being used on the left-hand side, which I found very reminiscent of the power reserve gauge found on Rolls Royce. Over on the right side is the battery level, while situated in the middle of the screen is the driver information such as your current speed, the speed limit, time, outside temperature and mileage etc.

I was the last to arrive at the Thyme hotel after stopping to capture more photos and generally just enjoying my time spent with the car. Ali would be driving the return route, while I would be sat, passenger. During most of the drive, the MINI was more than happy to just sit at 40-50mph, just cruising along, without feeling like it wanted to be pushed harder. I feel this is something I haven’t seen from a MINI before, but I do understand the circumstances and market position of this car, it’s built for an environmentally conscious world. A world where we are all told we need to reduce our carbon footprint, reduce CO2 emissions, a world where ethical and moral environmental decisions can even define what milk we buy at the supermarket, so for that, I can forgive it.

My impression of the all Electric MINI Cooper SE:

The Cooper SE is MINI going back to the drawing board to what made it in the first place. The world changed, and the Mini was born under the concept to help everyone to get them where they needed to go in 1959. Fast forward over 60 years and that 4 wheel friend needs to change with the times so under the bonnet now is an electric motor and T Shaped battery delivering the watts for the environment fun at the wheel.

When I got into the driver’s seat seeing the digital dash to me symbolised the change to electric to me. Pressing on the yellow start button, you are greeted with the speedo lighting up and the unique sound that sounds like a space ship powering up to heading into light speed. The weird part is that nothing happens and there is no traditional noise of the engine, and there is complete silence like in a Rolls.

There is no traditional auto take off when you put into a drive which will be an unease as it doesn’t move forward till you press down on the throttle pedal. It’s effortless wafting from there as the ride is actually better than any other MINI as it floats along which helped with the smooth power delivery from the electric motor with instant torque. The pick of speed around town is perfect and made even easier when you have low regeneration on as you one pedal drive and when you head out on the B-Roads there is instant pull out of the corner as you head towards the straightaway.

The extra weight and ride height with the damping of the new shocks has made this MINI ride over the imperfections on the road zen-like as this is the effect it had on me when I drove it. This is a place that is perfect for the daily driver or 2nd car when you want time to yourself to think or just want to pop to do the shop or hit the gym. I say this as there is need to warm anything up as the electric motor is ready to go and you can precondition the car before driving so don’t have it deforest.

When the red mist descends on you, and you feel the need for speed, the 1.21 gigawatts come alive and you head to 88 mph leaving the road on fire. The Cooper SE instant torque is your best friend as it allows you dart in out of speed zones especially above 30 to 60 mph and that’s were SE shines the most as there isn’t much speed beyond 60 mph. That’s not of point this evolution of this MINI or any MINI it’s for fun around the corners, and the agility is what a MINI is built for. At full power, the MINI doesn’t sweat itself and lightning bolts ahead which left shocked as I couldn’t comprehend the speed as there was no noise and the numbers on the dash just increased which it made feel isolated. I think MINI should have artificially made some audible noise in the cabin to let you know your increasing velocity which could be switched on or off if you wanted it. As personally believe sound or feel is a key part of anything like how Apple give haptic feedback on iPhone or notification sounds which tell you something is happening and I would have loved MINI’s continue take on electric noise from the start-up procedure.

In the twisties, the Cooper SE handles well like a normal cooper but actually better as it has more planted feel along with and extra playfulness with it as it’s more adjustable around the corners with corrections because of its stability, traction control and instant torque. The MINI playfulness is there when you want it, and it’s especially funny leaving people behind when doing the traffic light Grand Prix or head out of town to the dual carriageway. The only bad part is when hit 60mph the SE doesn’t want to go any faster as it flatlines tell you NO NO NO NO you save the environment.

Regen braking is the best thing ever when you are pushing on as it dials out the need to touch the brake as when you in high regeneration it’s like an elephant has sat on the front end as scrubs the speed as expediential rate. It this scrubbing off that changes the game when your pressing on as you plan your lines better as your worrying about downshifting or braking noises so I was actually way more focused on my driving style and movements on the road. Imagine on the track and like how I race on the weekend at the electric go-kart track my driving improved and the electric MINI would amazing around the track as it leans gently when pushed but settles nicely and front end lifts as the instant torque straighten the role and fire out of the bend.

I genuinely believe if there was some back road fun or MINI run the Cooper SE would hold it’s own with petrol Cooper S and it wouldn’t pull away from it under normal speed limits. The Cooper SE is still a driver’s car so don’t be deceived by the electric credentials as deep down in still that MINI you feel in love it but only see on a part-time basis as there is a BIG but in the room. The range is something I couldn’t shake off as after some driving back to the MINI Factory from 94% charge I went down to 56% after mixed driving scenarios. This isn’t ideal but we combined Rob’s & my driving we would have just made it back with like something 15% which is something you should never do to a lithium-ion battery pack as 20% should be like lowest. If we remove the fun we had in learning the car we would have been there and back with around 35% battery left or more as what I was told by MINI the ECU learns you driving style and over time it adapts power delivery so technically speaking the range would actually improve if we did the same commute every day.

That outcome leads us down the path the MINI is a commuter car or 2nd car which hurts me as a MINI owner as to when I think of one it’s something to take on long road trips and enjoying MINI runs or shows as I should smiling every second I am in it instead I would be worrying over range anxiety. Sadly this leads to another problem which is a UK infrastructure is there aren’t any charging points I have seen besides in expensive car parks or shopping centres so the only option will be charging it overnight at home which probably results in a charge every night or every two days with my commutes.

The plucky brit fights back on the above points with business users or small commuters as there is zero road tax, 0% benefit in kind tax on a company car and it only takes £5 of electric to fully recharge it from 0%. So running costs are virtually zeroed down to nothing as there nothing to service, fluids etc. Its just the perishables being washer fluid, tyres and brake pads but brake pads would something you may never have to change under a lease or only once in 3 years. First had the experience I learnt from one of MINI UK team that she changed over to electric and over a course of 5 to 6 months she saved £1300 just by going which is an insane amount of money for anyone. I calculated with my own money and commute of around 60 miles I would save over £300 in a month and if I do that over 6 months I am £1800 up and the saving won’t stop there the Cooper SE is 6 insurance groups cheaper than equivalent Cooper S which another saving again for cheaper motoring.

Range aside I would still buy one as it’s finally a fun take on the electric car just like the reason why you buy an Apple product. You want the premium feel with substance, and that’s what MINI Cooper SE is a MINI electrified and yes a Nissan Leaf or Renault Zoe has a lot more range but who cares when your surround by a cheap interior which puts you to sleep. You buy a MINI for what it is a car that puts a smile on your face, and you’re wrapped in a cocoon a luxury with the world best owner group/club. I am sure over time as tech evolves the range will increase with smaller batteries with high Kwh which will probably come with the model facelift like what happened with BMW i3. However, your 4 wheel buddy keeps you in check as it creates a radius on where you can travel with your current range by creating a green circle on the sat nav screen. The only real competitor is small compact premium electric car it’s sister the BMW i3s or Honda E, which are the around the same price point with an equal premium feel and all-around performance.

Rob’s MINI Cooper SE Conclusion – Should you buy one?

My initial impression of the MINI was very remarkable; it’s an electric car that’s been packaged to tick a lot of the boxes while still maintaining the iconic DNA of the MINI character. With the lack of funds from the now ex CEO of BMW restricting the R&D department, the range of 140 miles may not be gargantuan compared to other electric vehicles currently on the market. However, it’s important to remember while lithium-ion battery technology hasn’t really moved forward in many years the software which manages the batteries is always progressing, becoming smarter and more efficient in battery management. I suspect with more development in software technology combined with improved batteries a second-generation electric MINI will rectify this shortcoming, however, for now, it’s important to remember that while 140 miles may seem insignificant, most people’s commute by car probably isn’t a 140 mile plus round trip, well not in the UK anyway. With 5000 sales predicted in the first year for this electrifying small car, I suspect most will be sold to customers who live and operate locally in their area. What I mean by this is people who commute maybe 20-30 miles to work, pop into town for shopping, which is most likely a few miles away from home and perhaps over to the next town/city for entertainment or anything that can’t be acquired locally.

So, to conclude, would I buy one? While I would miss the connectivity of man and machine, banging through the gears, upshifting or downshifting with a burble, pop and bang of a manual, I can’t ignore what this car brings to the table. It’s nippy and direct like a go-kart, quick – very quick, and oh so smooth, it’s an all-round pleasure to drive. I think I probably would buy one and use it for the exact reasons as stated, nipping into town and not having to worry about the engine warming up, commuting in and out of the city not worrying about clutch wear and tear etc, the list goes on. Then there are the cost savings, just over £5 to fully charge the car, instead of just over £60 for a full tank of petrol, no more oil costs – for those of you that burn through it. But would I swap my JCW for it? No, I wouldn’t, the MINI electric would become my daily car and that’s exactly where MINI UK has targeted this vehicle. A practical, environmentally conscious, cheap to run daily car. (With one hell of a community that comes with it).

Over the last few days, the electric MINI has made a lasting impression on myself, I just can’t stop thinking about it. The driving dynamics, the way it produces its power, the thought and technology behind the vehicle. I’ve seen a few F56 MINI’s on the road since and I keep asking myself, would I rather have an electric F56 or petrol? To my surprise and perhaps yours, I keep lusting back to the electric F56 and I think that’s where the MINI electric gets you. You just can’t ignore what it’s bringing not only to the world but also the MINI community. The original mini was created during the petrol crisis, to be economical and practical with new ideas that hadn’t been done before, like the transverse engine mounting and here we are again 60 years on, with MINI producing its answer to the climate crisis, it’s the start of something special, the next chapter in the brands history and as I said, that’s just something you can’t ignore.

Rob’s Review Score: 4/5

My MINI Cooper SE Conclusion – Should you buy one?

My Driver Way TakeAfter heading back to my JCW after the review and heading home I was left pondering on whether I would add the electric MINI Cooper SE to the fleet which stands with a BMW 1 Series Diesel and Porsche Carrerra S. Each car has its place in what I use it for – JCW for fun, BMW for long-distance travelling and Porsche for summertime. This leads me to believe that Cooper SE would fit into the line-up as it would be my commuter car for work which would make life a lot easier as I am rarely hitting above 60mph there and back and the SE lives between 30-60 mph make it trouble-free motoring I am after doing over 130,000 miles in my JCW.

To me, the Cooper SE lives in another world where it is literally the perfect 2nd car the one you don’t have to worry about as that 8-year warranty or 100,000 miles covers and financial saving can not be ignored. So the Cooper SE is a logical purchase instead of an emotional one as it saves me money over the long run as I am in that stage of my life where I have to think more so about my future which MINI has done with its brand as it goes all-electric by 2030.

If I am take away all my life situation then I would have one either way as Birmingham is getting a low emission zone and so will many more cities as deadline looms for 2035 with no combustions engine cars will be sold in the UK. The Cooper SE is the future and it keeps it all wrapped up in a familiar package without taking away the fun which is no brainer for me as still get to see the infamous winged logo sitting next to my beloved JCW. If I was young again and I was getting my first car this would be the ideal first as I could have all the fun I did with my R56 MINI One just with the electric fun and being so much cheaper to run and own given how expensive insurance is now for first-time owners.

Ali’s Review Score: 3.5/5

The MINI Cooper SE keeps the fun alive in the MINI brand as it goes towards the electric future by evolving with voltage. The fun on 4 wheels continues on where it started back in 1959 with the style and quirkiness, but there is a limit to it with the range which comes as a premium package as either your 2nd car or my first car.

Thank you for the MINI UK Team for the hotel, food, hospitality and invite to this special event to mark the beginning of a new era for the iconic MINI brand.

Photo Credits & All the Apertures to Rob who took all the shots for this review

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The post Back To The Future: Electric MINI Cooper SE Review appeared first on JCW Adventures.