@@TommyJ BMW claims the range is on purpose... but that is based on customer feedback they got in 2008 on one of their early low production electric minis.
*_Remember Sandy, Mini Cooper is made for delivering GOLD BARS, driving in underground subway tunnels, sewage systems, narrow alleys with steep steps, getting airborne if needs to be, etc..._* _So the drivers aren't going to be too concern about the gaps._
Sandy has the perfect balance of engineering expertise and grumpy old man. Cory does a great job but he doesn't have the witty quips like Sandy. It will probably come with age. Solid channel.
Honestly you have to be a bit grumpy when you designed things way superior to this 20 years ago and the guys who could just copy your ideas and call them theirs create something inferior just because of stupid pride. I’m only 42 but even when I was in my 20s that was my go to reaction. If I can do it it better why can’t you?
Just like Cory I enjoyed Sandy's reaction at the frunking monstrosity reveal from the 8:12 mark 😂 Thanks for the high quality content as usual guys - Sandy is the ev car analyst 'pa' excellence 😊
Great point. Please can we get Sandy to go back and crucify the engineers for that. Do all those that think a mini ‘conversion’ is a good idea, they only need to be shown that. If they still think it’s a good idea, they need their heads checked!!
Great remarks from Sandy Munro as usual. I think this Mini has one great defense. I looks like the ICE mini and not really weird with strange lines, strange headlights and strange blue light bars as most EVs have - it actually looks good all over.
Take a look at this review, where the reviewer actually takes his time to drive it, and see his response. That's where this car really shines, a pleasure to drive. ruclips.net/video/bgBIDkQ5d0A/видео.html
Everyone is surprised when they find out that mine is electric. It is an ICE mini with an EV powertrain stuffed in wherever it would fit. Next model will be a dedicated EV design, with an ICE shaped body. You need to drive an SE to truly appreciate it. It is perhaps the best 2 seat commuter and city EV car. Not everyone wants to drive a bus. Not everyone does many long trips. Don't forget this is European, where roads are smaller...
The steel cage under the hood is for safety. Since an engine is normally there, for crashworthiness they put in that steel cage. I drive a Mini EV, and it’s a super fun car, great regen-breaking, sporty, I love it! It’s great for city driving, not a perfect car, but a good step forward.
@@jpinto3912 Yes, I've owned electric cars since 2012. Tesla & Audi E-Tron. Tesla is also super fun to drive. But it's a bigger heavier car. The E-Tron isn't anywhere close as fun to drive, but it is more luxurious and comfortable.
Bought a (used) 2017 i3REx based on Sandy's teardown in 2014. Thankfully it's been dead reliable for 25k miles, and the range extender means ZERO anxiety from the inconsistent public charging network (other than Tesla). 21 gallons of gas was used for 25k miles. Too bad BMW didn't just invest more in the innovative i3.
Many RUclips content producers - simply produce sugar coated rubbish. Munro Live is just, "I am going to tell you what I think, and I have no interest if you do not like it." Very refreshing. Honesty is the best policy.
Always interesting.and well presented. Looking forward to your next video..Sandy is well worth following if you intend to upgrade your car or buy a starship for vacation trip.
OMG. I nearly missed the 2nd part of this.. Sandy, you're a living legend and historian. Fascinating story of your work on Rover/new Mini integrating design with manufacturing. I didn't know how the final products are intimately intertwined with manufacturing. Thank-you Sandy and all of Munro.
That’s what I was wondering. People praised the Mini‘s design and handling but the car was notoriously unreliable. Maybe that’s why those guys were fired…
As someone in the UK I am also aware that plastic manifold of the KV6 engine Sandy showed off being an issue on some KV6 equipped cars, esp as they age. Some owners were surprised to learn they even won awards for changing this to the plastic part… (of course they blamed BMW/Rover, so did I, now I know who that genius was…😂). Hopefully they were not the people who advised Rover in cost cutting measures for smaller K series engines, as ‘cost saving measures’ on these essentially caused loads of premature head gaskets failures, trashed the brand(s), and even lawsuit (but Rover went under partly due to this)…
They should have compared the rear backrest with the cousin i3 standing right beside. That also can adjust into two positions, but with a much more elegant solution without that manual adjustment of the latch point.
Missed you a LOT 😬 loved your Mini intro, as an ex BWM IT specialist for 7 years and worked between Munich and the South African Rosslyn plant managing projects this episode was a treat 🙌 Making me wish I was back in the motor industry😉
Welcome back Sandy, I am sure you were missed by all your fan's. I know I missed your original banter and truly exceptional review critique on the products your team research and disassemble. I have found no other better suited to be doing this kind of work. And I sincerely do hope that your company keeps swimming towards the future and be extremely profitable always. Hope your new place is to your liking and setup the way you want to enjoy living there. Not to worry. Cory showed us some of the other things your company does and showed off your team as best in class for everything they assist with disassembling at your shop. You should be proud of the team you have in place. Thanks Cory for the interim video's . They were informative and fulfilling to watch.
I was waiting for Sandy to pass out like he did with the Ford. Lol that mini is a total mess. I was hoping they did better. I had a BMW a while back and drove a mini years ago. I wanted to see something better for at least think about getting that for the lady as a commuter. Never mind we are going to stick with the model Y and the Cybertruck.. thanks guys for all the great videos as always ten thumbs up 👍🏼
Instead of BMW deleting the i3, I would really love watching Sandy showing them how to double the range, and ESPECIALLY how to divide their shameful price by at least 50%.
I can almost understand the Mini not having a frunk because it's an ICE platform converted to EV. No excuse for the VW ID.4 not having a frunk since it was a ground up EV platform.
If it's an ICE platform that doesn't matter. Audi E-Tron (VW Group) has a frunk, Polestar 2 has a frunk, Volvo XC40 has a frunk, etc.. The PPE platform (Audi/VW Group) will have a frunk (Audi A6 e-tron, Q6 e-tron, Porsche Macan EV and so on) because they will have a longer hood. I don't think you will find an EV small as the Mini with a frunk. Not even in China.
@@markplott4820 Check the ID.3 how long the hood is. That's a real EV that has a huge greenhouse. EVs with a long hood and frunks are just trying to look like ICE vehicles like the Audi E-Tron.
ID 4 doesn't have a frunk because the hood is very short. Better visibility and wheels are closer to the edge. They could have done a frunk if they wanted but decided a shorter hood was better. Most people don't use the frunk anyway.
@@rolla2035 - NOPE, VW does not understand BEV or electric DRIVETRAIN. the iD.4 was designed to be a GROUND up ICEV that could take gas, Diesel , FCV, and Hybrid Drivetrain. adding BEV Drivetrain was an afterthought. It was shoehorn in to fit in a ICEV car design. this is a FACT, and VW has Admitted it designed iD3 and iD4 as ICEV.
I owned one of the original Minis. Replaced a clutch. Had to undo four bolts and some wire type connections from the firewall; picked up the front fenders with a friend and walked the car off of the engine and transmission to expose all of the power train laying on the ground with the front wheels. It got about 30 miles to the Imperial gallon, which I never considered enough for a car that small, but it was fun to drive and got attention even then.
The efficiency in the mini is Better than in the i3. The handling is better in the mini. I can hear what Sandy is sayin* but the mini is not a long range cruiser or a car to haul things. It’s also very inexpensive compared to other evs. If not the cheapest yet it does not feel cheap. Driving it put a smile on Sandy’s face. That honestly is what matters in this car. It drives great and it is not for a road trip. It’s a great second car
Loved to hear you talking about the i3! A great car gone bad. The mini se is just made of leftover i3 parts. A real disappointment from bmw. Were you involved in the R56 development too or Italdesign did everything?
My first Mini was one of the first off the production line, a 4 year old 1959 Morris Mini made from 26 gauge steel. (Not long after that they used 22 gauge steel which I believe added 25kg to its mass). It was rallied to death 10 years later. My last mini was a 1976 Mini Cooper S with a Downton Rally conversion. Great cars lots of memories before having kids.
The reason for the two position rear truck tray is obviously to increase the space statistics for magazine comparisons. probably an extra 30 litres on the figures.
To me it looks like the electric drive train is designed to substitute an ICE one at the latest possible moment on the production line. That way they can roll-up a mostly completed shell and then push up and fasten the mostly completed type of drive train as required. Isn't that what they were going for here Sandy? But yeah, as he said in the Kia, it's a wasted opportunity for a car and the volume inside, they should have been a little more inventive.
You do not change a winning concept, Sandy. The new Mini is a small car design icon. Customers asked for an electric version, and its 1/2 sizes below the Golf. Thanks to conversions like Mini, EQC, Niro, Ioniq some evs are on the market at decent costs and quality...
@@dadman9492 That is true, but the new EV Mini could be as reliable as a Toyota Corolla. So you have all these $1k-$5k Minis sitting around that could easily go EV. Munro could and should help with that transition. = "Munro Mini" -It is the drivers and consumers that made the original Mini great. (Of course great Munro Design helps)
@@dadman9492 ;-) Japp, may be the gas drive train had issues. But now we are talking fun ev with gocart feeling, with limited range. Funniest 2nd car for a family...
@@jonmccormick8683 i like your ideas and your optimism, but if bmw couldn’t get it right in the ice version which has been their specialty, i don’t think they’ll get it right in technology they are raw novices at, but i guess time will tell. I hope you’re right. As far as converting all the mini bricks, another great idea, but i think we may be underestimating the complexity of electrification. Just ask GM and Hyundai. Of course, i could be wrong on all of the above - highly likely lol.
@@nicnordic6143 This car has the POTENTIAL to be a great little car. But i just feel its a very expensive go cart (around $30k in ca) using technology that is already outdated as indicated by it’s woeful range. Hey, give me an original 1275GT Mini any day for a fun second car. My friend used to drive his on the sidewalk next to us on the road. Good times, but i digress.
I can deliver exactly one person to the airport in my mini haha 😂 but also I put a full 3 light photo shoot set up in the back with the seats folded. C-stands and everything! Also never used the frunk in my partners model 3 so I never missed it when I got my SE.
The look on Sandy's face when the hood came up.... Priceless.. Again we see that the majority of the ICE manufacturers just aren't doing well designing EVs.
The mechanical layout of the Mini screams “ICE car conversion”. No electric skateboard platform, original Leaf sort of range. Cute, but practical only as a spunky second car commute platform, for someone who has a 240 volt charger and a garage to charge it in every day.
That's exactly what it is, at the end of the day this is a 2014 Petrol car which has been adapted with the drivetrain from the I3. Rumours are that the next Mini Hatch will share a platform with Ora Cat which is a dedicated EV platform
Off a 110/120 volt circuit, you are looking at a peak input to the car of around 4 miles per charge hour, around 1.5 net kilowatts. That’s around 40 miles a day, with not a whole lot of buffer cushion for other use of the car besides a round trip to work. For some shorter commutes that might work, but not for longer ones. If you double the voltage you quadruple that to 16 miles per hour, enough to guarantee a full charge the next day starting at any level of charge, even with some heating losses in winter. *I* would consider a 220/240@30 amps, or around 6 Kw a minimum if the car is an every day, must be ready, commuter. Your mileage may vary.
The problem isnt so much that. The problem is it was done in a lazy way with poor benchmarks and poor performance targets. This is also like the 3rd or 4th generation of electric mini. They should know how to do it elegantly by now. But they have even lower performance targets that the 2008 version. (Which ommited the rear seats entirely to gain 156 miles of range). People forget the Kia eNiro is also an ICE conversion and its also one of the most efficient EVs on the road and highly regarded as a GREAT EV. And even though its a few years old now, its so much better than this supposedly new Mini. 🤷
I was Never a Mini Cooper fan, never had a second look all these years, until sandys review. Beautiful car , looks very classic and the red is stunning
I sold my geb 3 JCW 3 years ago. Had the HUD, and boosted to 290bhp (not my thing but my friend did it for me). Amazing car but the whole line is in dire need of a Gen 4. Mini delayed it till 2023.
I don't care for this car and don't want one, *but* it's not entirely fair to bash it for having no frunk as it's obviously an ICE conversion to get a Mini EV onto the market without a new platform. In this context, it's understandable that there's no frunk and that you get a T-pack battery. No one expected Sandy to love this car, but it should be viewed as an ICE conversion that could be brought to market more quickly than a dedicated EV platform. I would hope that they didn't spend 3+ years on this :|.
I agree, clearly this guy has a cult following (I didn't know who he was before now) and people are giddy about his analysis, but to me it was a lot of overstatements and grandstanding. I think this car is great.
Sandy's reaction to the "frunk" was word-for-word identical to what I said when I saw them open the hood on Episode 1 of this series. You can just tell that MINI/BMW did the least they possibly could to turn out an electric car. They took the MINI-E (which they made as a limited edition of 500 of back in 2012) - it has identical range/0-60/top-speed to the MINI-SE...so they didn't improve a damned thing. The fact that they stuffed batteries into the 'tunnel' left over from the gas version - even used the same engine mounts as the gas version to hold lightweight parts in the frunk...this is all laziness. This is what happens when they just want to get something...anything...out fast.
Totally agree. The Mini-E is nothing more than a compliance model of the ICE Mini designed and built as cheaply as possible. No need to have high expectations. It’s in the same class as the Kia Niro.
@@mikedx2706 Yep - exactly. The fact that the range, acceleration and top speed are exactly the same (not just similar - the precise same numbers!) between the (new) MINI-SE and the (10 years old) MINI-E - says that the SE is using pretty much the exact same 10-year-old tech...it's just too much of a coincidence. I'd love to find a photo of the inside of the frunk on a MINI-E...I bet that would tell a story.
Didn’t both Saturn coupes and Hyundai Velosters have the same kinds of rear doors? Why is it such a big deal when BMW copies it? Nothing to see here, just move along now.
Amazing to find out you did the mini reboot! I love that you implied sports car, I'm sure that's what you were designing underneath, the handling was on another level. Who came up with the goofy fan on the power steering? AHH the smell of boiled over coolant...memories. Great job Munro and BMW.
I'm dying from laughter at the popping of the "fronk" hood. Absolute Sandy Munro masterclassing! I just had my day made!
Same here, made me burst out laughing 😂
I made popcorn when I saw he was back to look at this.
the MINI "frunk" almost gave SANDY a Heart attack when he saw all those HV cabeling and Coolant loops........LOL.
Maybe carmakers do this just to piss off Sandy haha
Did I hear him nearly drop an F-bomb? ;)
Love it how Sandy is about to drop a F bomb at 11:24 after hearing the range. Nice recovery.
See? I knew Sandy cuss like sailors!
I don’t blame him. 120 miles….. back to the drawing board 😂 but it’s hard to compare to a Tesla
@@TommyJ BMW claims the range is on purpose... but that is based on customer feedback they got in 2008 on one of their early low production electric minis.
@@patreekotime4578 Just crazy!
@@TommyJ
It’s a luxury car for doing your shopping.
It’s a totally different category than any Tesla or even a VW ID3.
I think Cory is enjoying Sandy back as much as we are. Welcome back Mr Sandy
I love Sandy’s honesty!
11:28 "You gotta be Fuh... You gotta be kidding me." - - Priceless.
Bottom line: POS.
Man, I laughed my ass off, as soon as frunk was opened and the look on Sandy's face!!
I did not know that mini story , it was good to hear about Munro's role in that.
LOVE how Sandy almost dropped and F bomb at 11:24 because of the range and no frunk! 😂
*_Remember Sandy, Mini Cooper is made for delivering GOLD BARS, driving in underground subway tunnels, sewage systems, narrow alleys with steep steps, getting airborne if needs to be, etc..._* _So the drivers aren't going to be too concern about the gaps._
Sandy has the perfect balance of engineering expertise and grumpy old man. Cory does a great job but he doesn't have the witty quips like Sandy. It will probably come with age.
Solid channel.
Honestly you have to be a bit grumpy when you designed things way superior to this 20 years ago and the guys who could just copy your ideas and call them theirs create something inferior just because of stupid pride. I’m only 42 but even when I was in my 20s that was my go to reaction. If I can do it it better why can’t you?
05:50 „but then, what do I know? I‘m only the piano player.“ 😂
Sandy: I wouldn't have done it that way.
Cory: you have not seen the car yet.
Just like Cory I enjoyed Sandy's reaction at the frunking monstrosity reveal from the 8:12 mark 😂
Thanks for the high quality content as usual guys - Sandy is the ev car analyst 'pa' excellence 😊
Par. Its Latin for "by" or "with".
"Pa" is your dad.
@@gregbailey45 and that's a below par take on my play on words 🤦♂️
Beneath grandpa as well
I own a mini SE, I never had looked there. What is it to look for?
Sandy! I'm buckled in and ready to listen.
Sandy’s reactions are priceless!
Sandy's expression is priceless! Thank Munro's! Awesome Team!
Sandy's reaction to the motor, genuinely made me laugh!
Would love to have seen Sandy's reaction in seeing the High Voltage Power Cable routing under the car....that cooked it for me!
Great point. Please can we get Sandy to go back and crucify the engineers for that. Do all those that think a mini ‘conversion’ is a good idea, they only need to be shown that. If they still think it’s a good idea, they need their heads checked!!
Great remarks from Sandy Munro as usual. I think this Mini has one great defense. I looks like the ICE mini and not really weird with strange lines, strange headlights and strange blue light bars as most EVs have - it actually looks good all over.
Take a look at this review, where the reviewer actually takes his time to drive it, and see his response. That's where this car really shines, a pleasure to drive. ruclips.net/video/bgBIDkQ5d0A/видео.html
Everyone is surprised when they find out that mine is electric. It is an ICE mini with an EV powertrain stuffed in wherever it would fit. Next model will be a dedicated EV design, with an ICE shaped body.
You need to drive an SE to truly appreciate it. It is perhaps the best 2 seat commuter and city EV car.
Not everyone wants to drive a bus. Not everyone does many long trips. Don't forget this is European, where roads are smaller...
_"What do I know, I'm just a piano player..."_ says the GOAT 😂
Sandy's gasp at 8:43 conveys so much.
Sandy's German impression 😂😂 I love it!
We love your precious honesty Sandy. Most of us wouldn't watch your videos otherwise.
The GOAT is back!
Until I started watching Sandy I never heard of panel gaps and never checked for them when buying a new car.
SANDY'S BACK! Lol, not kidding & with a BANG! love it, truly do.
Welcome back Sandy!!
Sandy's reaction was priceless!
Ps great to have u back …..good times
The steel cage under the hood is for safety. Since an engine is normally there, for crashworthiness they put in that steel cage. I drive a Mini EV, and it’s a super fun car, great regen-breaking, sporty, I love it! It’s great for city driving, not a perfect car, but a good step forward.
have you ever driven any other EV?
@@jpinto3912 Yes, I've owned electric cars since 2012. Tesla & Audi E-Tron. Tesla is also super fun to drive. But it's a bigger heavier car. The E-Tron isn't anywhere close as fun to drive, but it is more luxurious and comfortable.
Totally concur, this is a whole lot of fun! 🇬🇧 rear lights have been there for yonks!!! Sandy where have you been 😄
That's exactly what I though when I saw the cage - it's so the car doesn't have to be retested for crash protection over the ICE equivalent.
Welcome back Sandy! Laughed my ass off!
Bought a (used) 2017 i3REx based on Sandy's teardown in 2014.
Thankfully it's been dead reliable for 25k miles, and the range extender means ZERO anxiety from the inconsistent public charging network (other than Tesla).
21 gallons of gas was used for 25k miles.
Too bad BMW didn't just invest more in the innovative i3.
Many RUclips content producers - simply produce sugar coated rubbish. Munro Live is just, "I am going to tell you what I think, and I have no interest if you do not like it." Very refreshing. Honesty is the best policy.
That's Sandy for ya, can even predict the weather from looking looking at panel-gaps
Always interesting.and well presented. Looking forward to your next video..Sandy is well worth following if you intend to upgrade your car or buy a starship for vacation trip.
OMG. I nearly missed the 2nd part of this.. Sandy, you're a living legend and historian. Fascinating story of your work on Rover/new Mini integrating design with manufacturing. I didn't know how the final products are intimately intertwined with manufacturing. Thank-you Sandy and all of Munro.
Thank you!
You're welcome!
The master is back throwing rocks.
I would love to hear Sandy's comment on the legendary bad reliability of the mini he worked on.
ruclips.net/video/PabBvjOBXR8/видео.html
That’s what I was wondering. People praised the Mini‘s design and handling but the car was notoriously unreliable. Maybe that’s why those guys were fired…
yeah same.
@@benjacobs2560 Nailed it. The "good old days" when replacing a clutch cost the owner of the Mini nearly $5000. No exaggeration.
As someone in the UK I am also aware that plastic manifold of the KV6 engine Sandy showed off being an issue on some KV6 equipped cars, esp as they age. Some owners were surprised to learn they even won awards for changing this to the plastic part… (of course they blamed BMW/Rover, so did I, now I know who that genius was…😂). Hopefully they were not the people who advised Rover in cost cutting measures for smaller K series engines, as ‘cost saving measures’ on these essentially caused loads of premature head gaskets failures, trashed the brand(s), and even lawsuit (but Rover went under partly due to this)…
priceless as always
I can't stop laughing, "we can just put that lid back" priceless, 16:15 go Sandy go. Just can't stop laughing.
They should have compared the rear backrest with the cousin i3 standing right beside. That also can adjust into two positions, but with a much more elegant solution without that manual adjustment of the latch point.
When I grow up I hope to be just like Sandy. I am 68 now.
I could sit and listen to Sandy's stories for hours
Welcome back Sandy and we hope you enjoyed your time off 😊
Best review ever! VW team will love the 2nd part 🤣
Welcome back, Sandy!
I love Sandy's reaction when he looks at engine in the front at 8:46.
Missed you a LOT 😬 loved your Mini intro, as an ex BWM IT specialist for 7 years and worked between Munich and the South African Rosslyn plant managing projects this episode was a treat 🙌 Making me wish I was back in the motor industry😉
I had equal amounts of anticipation and dread when waiting for Sandy to open that frunk… 🤣
“120! You gotta be fuc… um, kidding me!” Tell us how you really feel, Sandy!
Welcome back Sandy, I am sure you were missed by all your fan's. I know I missed your original banter and truly exceptional review critique on the products your team research and disassemble. I have found no other better suited to be doing this kind of work. And I sincerely do hope that your company keeps swimming towards the future and be extremely profitable always.
Hope your new place is to your liking and setup the way you want to enjoy living there.
Not to worry. Cory showed us some of the other things your company does and showed off your team as best in class for everything they assist with disassembling at your shop. You should be proud of the team you have in place. Thanks Cory for the interim video's . They were informative and fulfilling to watch.
I was hoping Sandy will comment on those power lines that were tied underneath the car.
Ah, his gasp of horror after removing the plastic cover from the engine. Priceless. Never change, Sandy :)
At that point, he changed mind about he utility of the cover. He was just too shocked to realize it at the time.
I was waiting for Sandy to pass out like he did with the Ford. Lol that mini is a total mess. I was hoping they did better. I had a BMW a while back and drove a mini years ago. I wanted to see something better for at least think about getting that for the lady as a commuter. Never mind we are going to stick with the model Y and the Cybertruck.. thanks guys for all the great videos as always ten thumbs up 👍🏼
Instead of BMW deleting the i3, I would really love watching Sandy showing them how to double the range, and ESPECIALLY how to divide their shameful price by at least 50%.
I can almost understand the Mini not having a frunk because it's an ICE platform converted to EV. No excuse for the VW ID.4 not having a frunk since it was a ground up EV platform.
If it's an ICE platform that doesn't matter. Audi E-Tron (VW Group) has a frunk, Polestar 2 has a frunk, Volvo XC40 has a frunk, etc.. The PPE platform (Audi/VW Group) will have a frunk (Audi A6 e-tron, Q6 e-tron, Porsche Macan EV and so on) because they will have a longer hood. I don't think you will find an EV small as the Mini with a frunk. Not even in China.
Except the iD.4 is BUILT NEW from the GROUND up as a GAS car...........LOL.
VW just Shoehorned in a BEV Drivetrain.
@@markplott4820 Check the ID.3 how long the hood is. That's a real EV that has a huge greenhouse. EVs with a long hood and frunks are just trying to look like ICE vehicles like the Audi E-Tron.
ID 4 doesn't have a frunk because the hood is very short. Better visibility and wheels are closer to the edge. They could have done a frunk if they wanted but decided a shorter hood was better. Most people don't use the frunk anyway.
@@rolla2035 - NOPE, VW does not understand BEV or electric DRIVETRAIN.
the iD.4 was designed to be a GROUND up ICEV that could take gas, Diesel , FCV, and Hybrid Drivetrain.
adding BEV Drivetrain was an afterthought.
It was shoehorn in to fit in a ICEV car design.
this is a FACT, and VW has Admitted it designed iD3 and iD4 as ICEV.
So happy with this reaction video
Gotta love Sandy's non-verbals as he thinks what to say about the stuff in the frunk.
Love your work Sandy!
Fascinating also on the history of the mini.
I owned one of the original Minis. Replaced a clutch. Had to undo four bolts and some wire type connections from the firewall; picked up the front fenders with a friend and walked the car off of the engine and transmission to expose all of the power train laying on the ground with the front wheels. It got about 30 miles to the Imperial gallon, which I never considered enough for a car that small, but it was fun to drive and got attention even then.
Can do a Mini clutch without removing the engine - the two 7/16th bottom engine mounts are the only difficult bit.
Your words are appreciated but the others did a good job!
Wow. Sandy is so good he can look at panel gaps and tell if it's gonna rain or not. Very impressive.
The efficiency in the mini is Better than in the i3. The handling is better in the mini. I can hear what Sandy is sayin* but the mini is not a long range cruiser or a car to haul things. It’s also very inexpensive compared to other evs. If not the cheapest yet it does not feel cheap. Driving it put a smile on Sandy’s face. That honestly is what matters in this car. It drives great and it is not for a road trip. It’s a great second car
Loved to hear you talking about the i3! A great car gone bad. The mini se is just made of leftover i3 parts. A real disappointment from bmw. Were you involved in the R56 development too or Italdesign did everything?
For all the criticism, this car is J.D. Power highest-ranking mass market BEV for a second consecutive year (2023 & 2024)
8:47 Sandy’s biggest gasp yet!
9:23 Sandy: "Refreshing?!" 😂😂😂
It looks like a 1960s Mini under that hood!!
My first Mini was one of the first off the production line, a 4 year old 1959 Morris Mini made from 26 gauge steel. (Not long after that they used 22 gauge steel which I believe added 25kg to its mass). It was rallied to death 10 years later.
My last mini was a 1976 Mini Cooper S with a Downton Rally conversion. Great cars lots of memories before having kids.
Wow. The secret is out. You guys know what you're talking about. You would be surprised at how many people like this content.
The reason for the two position rear truck tray is obviously to increase the space statistics for magazine comparisons. probably an extra 30 litres on the figures.
I loved my 2003 Mini Cooper S, and miss it -- thanks Sandy! Finally died, and mow I have a Model 3MR -- I love it too.
Another great video.
To me it looks like the electric drive train is designed to substitute an ICE one at the latest possible moment on the production line. That way they can roll-up a mostly completed shell and then push up and fasten the mostly completed type of drive train as required. Isn't that what they were going for here Sandy? But yeah, as he said in the Kia, it's a wasted opportunity for a car and the volume inside, they should have been a little more inventive.
You do not change a winning concept, Sandy. The new Mini is a small car design icon. Customers asked for an electric version, and its 1/2 sizes below the Golf. Thanks to conversions like Mini, EQC, Niro, Ioniq some evs are on the market at decent costs and quality...
No not really. The bmw mini has always been a rolling pile that broke down all the time. It’s junk come on.
@@dadman9492 That is true, but the new EV Mini could be as reliable as a Toyota Corolla. So you have all these $1k-$5k Minis sitting around that could easily go EV. Munro could and should help with that transition. = "Munro Mini"
-It is the drivers and consumers that made the original Mini great. (Of course great Munro Design helps)
@@dadman9492 ;-) Japp, may be the gas drive train had issues. But now we are talking fun ev with gocart feeling, with limited range. Funniest 2nd car for a family...
@@jonmccormick8683 i like your ideas and your optimism, but if bmw couldn’t get it right in the ice version which has been their specialty, i don’t think they’ll get it right in technology they are raw novices at, but i guess time will tell. I hope you’re right. As far as converting all the mini bricks, another great idea, but i think we may be underestimating the complexity of electrification. Just ask GM and Hyundai. Of course, i could be wrong on all of the above - highly likely lol.
@@nicnordic6143 This car has the POTENTIAL to be a great little car. But i just feel its a very expensive go cart (around $30k in ca) using technology that is already outdated as indicated by it’s woeful range. Hey, give me an original 1275GT Mini any day for a fun second car. My friend used to drive his on the sidewalk next to us on the road. Good times, but i digress.
I have seen aftermarket conversions that look cleaner under the hood.
I can deliver exactly one person to the airport in my mini haha 😂 but also I put a full 3 light photo shoot set up in the back with the seats folded. C-stands and everything! Also never used the frunk in my partners model 3 so I never missed it when I got my SE.
Love Sandy's german impression
The look on Sandy's face when the hood came up.... Priceless.. Again we see that the majority of the ICE manufacturers just aren't doing well designing EVs.
The mechanical layout of the Mini screams “ICE car conversion”. No electric skateboard platform, original Leaf sort of range. Cute, but practical only as a spunky second car commute platform, for someone who has a 240 volt charger and a garage to charge it in every day.
That's exactly what it is, at the end of the day this is a 2014 Petrol car which has been adapted with the drivetrain from the I3. Rumours are that the next Mini Hatch will share a platform with Ora Cat which is a dedicated EV platform
With that low of a range 120 volt can be sufficient
Off a 110/120 volt circuit, you are looking at a peak input to the car of around 4 miles per charge hour, around 1.5 net kilowatts. That’s around 40 miles a day, with not a whole lot of buffer cushion for other use of the car besides a round trip to work. For some shorter commutes that might work, but not for longer ones. If you double the voltage you quadruple that to 16 miles per hour, enough to guarantee a full charge the next day starting at any level of charge, even with some heating losses in winter. *I* would consider a 220/240@30 amps, or around 6 Kw a minimum if the car is an every day, must be ready, commuter. Your mileage may vary.
I saw the prototype E-Mini several years ago at the Detroit Auto Show. It was also an ICE car with a battery. They haven't changed anything.
The problem isnt so much that. The problem is it was done in a lazy way with poor benchmarks and poor performance targets. This is also like the 3rd or 4th generation of electric mini. They should know how to do it elegantly by now. But they have even lower performance targets that the 2008 version. (Which ommited the rear seats entirely to gain 156 miles of range).
People forget the Kia eNiro is also an ICE conversion and its also one of the most efficient EVs on the road and highly regarded as a GREAT EV. And even though its a few years old now, its so much better than this supposedly new Mini. 🤷
I was Never a Mini Cooper fan, never had a second look all these years, until sandys review. Beautiful car , looks very classic and the red is stunning
I sold my geb 3 JCW 3 years ago. Had the HUD, and boosted to 290bhp (not my thing but my friend did it for me). Amazing car but the whole line is in dire need of a Gen 4. Mini delayed it till 2023.
I don't care for this car and don't want one, *but* it's not entirely fair to bash it for having no frunk as it's obviously an ICE conversion to get a Mini EV onto the market without a new platform. In this context, it's understandable that there's no frunk and that you get a T-pack battery. No one expected Sandy to love this car, but it should be viewed as an ICE conversion that could be brought to market more quickly than a dedicated EV platform. I would hope that they didn't spend 3+ years on this :|.
finally someone has the common sense to say it.. the mini se should be viewed as an ICE conversion, god bless you rob
I agree, clearly this guy has a cult following (I didn't know who he was before now) and people are giddy about his analysis, but to me it was a lot of overstatements and grandstanding. I think this car is great.
I love the formal apology to VW 😂
"Corey's staring at me which means that i should ask for subscribers". hahaha. love the honesty.
There’s a lot of us original bmw mini owners and enthusiasts who’d love to hear more about all the innovations and so on you did to it!
Thanks for another great video. And was fun to hear some of the history too.
2014 owner here. Yes crazy looking car. Still my (mostly) daily driver... Along with a model Y.
Great to have you back, sir!
More to come!
Re: gas cover fitting....Trained eyes both noticed it right away.....Heck my aunt Gertrude would have picked that out right away!
Sandy's reaction to the "frunk" was word-for-word identical to what I said when I saw them open the hood on Episode 1 of this series. You can just tell that MINI/BMW did the least they possibly could to turn out an electric car. They took the MINI-E (which they made as a limited edition of 500 of back in 2012) - it has identical range/0-60/top-speed to the MINI-SE...so they didn't improve a damned thing. The fact that they stuffed batteries into the 'tunnel' left over from the gas version - even used the same engine mounts as the gas version to hold lightweight parts in the frunk...this is all laziness. This is what happens when they just want to get something...anything...out fast.
Just as with the Mach E..." It's what we knew, to get it out there" Donna Dickson.
Hey just a doubt. Are u a writer on quora?
@@pauljnellissery7096 Yep! I'm just "Steve Baker" there too.
Totally agree. The Mini-E is nothing more than a compliance model of the ICE Mini designed and built as cheaply as possible. No need to have high expectations. It’s in the same class as the Kia Niro.
@@mikedx2706 Yep - exactly. The fact that the range, acceleration and top speed are exactly the same (not just similar - the precise same numbers!) between the (new) MINI-SE and the (10 years old) MINI-E - says that the SE is using pretty much the exact same 10-year-old tech...it's just too much of a coincidence. I'd love to find a photo of the inside of the frunk on a MINI-E...I bet that would tell a story.
11:25 Sandy being very diplomatic lmao. You gotta be fah, you gotta be kidding me.
Watched this 10 times..love the German!
"Know your Enemy, know yourself" and that is QM-Time Duality encapsulated.
Panel gaps and wire routing….yeah that’s what buyers care about. Drive it and you might actually like it.
Corey struggling to keep Sandy on schedule hahaha. Just let him speak, I could continue watching for hours on end.
Sandy's comment on the i3 Doors. I keep hoping the Tesla Model 2 (or whatever it will be called) will go this way. The access to the car is excellent.
Not with a car parking close by, then you are trapped. 😜
Didn’t both Saturn coupes and Hyundai Velosters have the same kinds of rear doors? Why is it such a big deal when BMW copies it? Nothing to see here, just move along now.
@@abraxastulammo9940 if only it had self parking, oh wait... 😁
Please do a series where uncle Sandy tells company stories, that showcase the challenges faced and how the team overcame them.
Sandy may be twice my age, but he speaks my kind of language, honestly speaking!
Amazing to find out you did the mini reboot! I love that you implied sports car, I'm sure that's what you were designing underneath, the handling was on another level. Who came up with the goofy fan on the power steering? AHH the smell of boiled over coolant...memories. Great job Munro and BMW.
Guess who is back, back again...
Sandy's back! Tell a friend...