The new all-electric MINI Cooper is crammed full of mini moments of magic
MINI’s iconic hatchback has gone electric. But that’s not the only trick it has up its sleeve
From meetings and dinner reservations to sports classes and dog walks, modern life can sometimes be akin to a juggling act. That’s why it’s important to take a step back from the daily routine and appreciate the small moments of magic that can brighten your day. That’s where the new all-electric MINI Cooper has a few tricks up its sleeve.
Beyond its fresh styling that puts a modern spin on iconic looks, peppy electric power (up to 249 miles of range and 215hp) and a stripped-back, minimalist interior, the new all-electric MINI Cooper is crammed full of little moments of wonder that are guaranteed to bring a smile to your face on every single journey. Let’s find out what they are.
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OLED display: the magic circle
Inside, the new all-electric MINI Cooper is a digital wonderland, and the magic all stems from the spectacular state-of-the-art central OLED touchscreen display.
Designed to evoke the iconic round dials of the original 1960s Mini, this 9.5in magic circle is powered by MINI Operating System 9 to deliver a simple, intuitive interface with bold colours and ultra-crisp graphics. It even has always-online 5G connectivity to ensure you’re getting the latest navigation, traffic and charging information from the cloud.
Smartphone mirroring comes as standard, as do a couple of neat tricks that are sure to get a smile from your passengers. Use three fingers to swipe from left to right while listening to music and the screen will transform (digitally, of course) into a vinyl record that you can scratch and rewind.
Another cool ‘easter egg’ can be found in the navigation interface. Press and hold on the arrow that indicates your location and, as if by magic, it’ll turn into a miniature MINI Cooper.
There’s even an AirConsole smartphone app that turns the all-electric MINI Cooper’s OLED touchscreen and your smartphone into a gaming device. Perfect for keeping yourself entertained while charging.
Toggles: old magic made new
Although the new all-electric MINI Cooper is focused on digital thinking, MINI hasn’t forgotten the iconic appeal and tactile magic of good old-fashioned buttons and switches.
Sitting below the large circular OLED touchscreen, this bar of switches gives you quick access to essential driving controls. There’s a cool key-shaped start/stop switch, alongside a flickable drive selector and the parking brake button. Another toggle lets you flick between the different MINI Experience Modes to match your mood (more on those in a moment).
You also get a dedicated button for the MINI Parking Assistant, as well as easy-access one-touch buttons for easy front and rear window demisting, helping you make a quick getaway on frosty early mornings.
Experience Modes: personalised magic
Anyone who’s been to a sporting event or concert where you’ve been presented with an LED wristband upon entry will know that the simple use of lights can turn an already incredible experience into a truly enchanting one – that’s where the new all-electric MINI Cooper’s Experience Modes come in.
The seven Experience Modes allow you to change the graphics on the large circular touchscreen and alter the ambient lighting that splashes down onto the soft-touch, 2D-effect knitted dashboard and pulsates throughout the rest of the interior.
Core and Balanced Modes offer great default options. Pick Timeless Mode and you get a digital speedometer that evokes the iconic design of the original 1959 Mini’s speedometer, while Vivid Mode is inspired by MINI’s long links with the British music scene – using bold vibrant colours to evoke psychedelic album art.
Green Mode changes the driving character of the all-electric MINI Cooper, delivering power more smoothly and using more regenerative braking to recapture and redirect energy back to the battery during deceleration to enhance range.
At the other extreme, you’ve got Go-Kart Mode, which combines a crisp white-on-black race-inspired speedometer with configurable steering and traction control intervention to amp up the all-electric MINI Cooper’s sporty performance feel.
Finally, Personal Mode lets you custom-select your ambient lighting to suit your mode and upload images from the MINI app to display on the touchscreen.
“Hey MINI”: your very own in-car magician
It’s easy to access all the all-electric MINI Cooper’s key features on the touchscreen. But wouldn’t it be even better if you didn’t need to use your hands at all? Well, that’s where MINI Intelligent Personal Assistant – MINI’s first fully-fledged, fully-featured voice control – comes in.
Simply say “Hey MINI” or use the steering-wheel-mounted push-to-talk button and you can see your voice commands appearing on the touchscreen display, so you can be sure it understands what you’re saying. You also get the option of having a friendly animated dog ‘Spike’ to guide you through your choices.
Using MINI’s enhanced voice recognition, you can control navigation, music and podcasts, hands-free phone calls and other key vehicle functions. The system also learns your behaviours, regular routes and uses geo-based data to make things even easier – such as automatically opening the window when entering a car park. You can even ask it to tell you a joke.
Headlights: new tech, same magical look
Finally, the circular headlights of the original Mini helped it become a pop culture icon recognisable worldwide. More than 60 years later, the new all-electric MINI Cooper has put its own spin on those unmistakable lights.
Up front, the striking new octagonal grille is framed by bright LED headlights that will even give you a cheeky wink when you press the lock button twice.
At the rear, a fresh triangular interpretation of MINI’s Union Jack rear LED lights works with the front LED daytime running lights to offer three uniquely orchestrated light signature animations – giving you the perfect welcome greeting or look-back-with-longing farewell for your car.
So, those are just a handful of magical moments offered by the new all-electric MINI Cooper. Maybe it’s time to get behind the wheel and find a few more for yourself.
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