Why Mini is taking the engine out of this hippie Mini

Convert

Some classics should be left alone. You may not even think about converting them to an electric restomod. A Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, Aston Martin DB5 and Lamborghini Miura are left alone. But so many of some classics are still driving around that it doesn’t fall into the sacrilege category if you replace the original powertrain for an all-electric one.  

Classic Mini

The original Mini is such a classic. The first Minis rolled off the assembly line in the 1960s in Oxford, England. At that time, 300 cars were delivered per day. The last classic Mini rolled off the assembly line on October 4, 2000: number 5,378,776. This is a considerable number, but more of the new Mini have already been made than of the old: over eight million. That adds 1,000 units every day, which Mini still assembles at its Oxford plant.

Classic Mini Electric

Since over five million old Minis have been produced, it’s not such a disaster if you rebuild a few of them heavily. In 2018, Mini showed a classic Mini Electric for the first time at the New York Auto Show. The response was so positive that a special team at the Mini Oxford factory developed a plan for Mini customers who wanted to have their classic car converted to an electric Mini.

Gasoline engine

In Oxford, Mini carefully removes the engine from the classic and stores it neatly. The idea, in fact, is that you can put the original engine back in whenever you want. The gasoline engine gives way to a 90-hp electric motor and battery pack. The electrified Mini classic shoots from 0 to 100 km/h in 9 seconds and reaches 160 kilometers on a single battery charge.

Lakwena

Commissioned by Mini, British artist Lakwena Maciver has given a classic Mini Electric a solid makeover. The interior and exterior feature all the colors of the rainbow and even the wheels have each been given a different color. Although the specific model is from 1986, this Mini is very reminiscent of the hippie era thanks to its color scheme and the words BIG LOVE.

Travel

According to Lakwena, the design of the Mini Recharged Lakwena reflects the long journeys people take in their lives. Lakwena has one wish with the car, “I hope this Mini Recharged makes people feel good and puts a smile on their face. This Mini is a celebration of colors for cultures.” 

David Bowie

The car was shown to the public for the first time at the European Championships on August 11. In addition to the MINI Recharged Lakwena, visitors can also see other special Minis here, such as a special Mini owned by Paul Smith and the one owned by David Bowie.

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