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2014 Mini Cooper interior spied uncovered in China

As we approach the November 18 debut of the new Mini Hardtop, the trickle of news is starting to increase. We've already shown you the exterior of the new hatchback, and now we can show you the interior. These images, captured by Car News China, show a cabin that maintains a few key Mini styling items, but is a fairly progressive evolution of the current R56 model.
Mini's most iconic interior treatment, its center-mounted speedometer, is now gone. The new speedo sits atop the steering column, flanked by a (too tiny, in our opinion) tachometer. In the speedometer's former position are the radio controls. Our friends in China put it best when they say, "The large dial is much uglier than before." There's a mass of buttons and unfriendly black plastic that, at first glance, look far cheaper than the rest of the cabin. Of course, we'll wait to see how this is all ironed out for the production-spec car.
The other parts of the interior, however, look quite good. There's a small bank of toggle buttons at the bottom of the center stack, and the checkerboard dash insert looks clean as well. The seats sport extensions for the bottom cushions, meaning there'll be the option of more support for drivers with longer legs. GTI fans might also notice the plaid bolsters on the seats. Mini's treatment is a bit more subtle than what you'd see on a Volkswagen, though.

2020 Mini E caught in the Alps with concept looks

The upcoming full-electric 2020 Mini E hatchback has been spotted in the wild, specifically the Alps. One of our spy photographers caught it while recharging. Fans of the concept shown at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show will be pleased to see that this more production-ready car takes many cues from the show car. Unsurprisingly, the car does look pretty much the same as the standard Mini Hardtop. It has the round lights, broad grille section and upright Mini body. Differences show up first with the grille. Most of it is solid, which is understandable since an electric car typically doesn't need the amount of airflow an internal combustion car needs. There is a strip in the middle that is open, evident by circular cutouts. This is also a design that was featured on the concept, in which the two halves of the grille were solid, with an open slot dividing them. The rest of the bumper appears to be the same one used on the standard Mini Cooper Hardtop. The sides of the car also seem to be identical to the normal Minis, but the wheels are unique to this electric iteration. They're cool four-spoke alloys that have aren't completely symmetrical. Three of the spokes are open and finished, but one has some additional metal, and it seems to connect with the center section where the lug nuts are. There will probably be a cover that goes over these sections. The overall look is directly taken from the Frankfurt concept. At the back, the electric Mini still looks like a Mini, but with no provisions for an exhaust pipe. It also uses taillights from the pre-refresh model, but with some neat hexagonal texture on the lens. These will probably be replaced by the new Union Jack taillights, though. The interior continues the current Mini looks. The seats do have an interesting upholstery. It looks a bit like a gray denim. This production Mini E Hardtop should arrive sometime next year, in keeping with BMW's promise made with the concept car's reveal. Specs are unknown, but we hope it will be comparable in power with the original Mini E introduced for the 2009 model year. That car had an impressive 204 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. Hopefully the new model will also improve on the old car's range, which was about 150 miles according to BMW. Related Video:

BMW will electrify all brands and model lines, including Mini

BMW has announced that it plans to produce a fully electric version of the three-door hatchback Mini. The car will go into production in 2019, and the battery electric drivetrain will be produced at BMW's Bavarian facilities, then transported to Plant Oxford where it will join the cars. BMW says there will remain a diesel variant in addition to the petrol, plug-in hybrid, and EV versions of the Mini. No prototype shots have been released of the upcoming cars; the current one was unveiled in late 2013. The UK production location isn't the only place where BMW builds Minis, as the former Volvo/Mitsubishi/Smart NedCar plant in the Netherlands has been tooled to build some of the 360,000 Minis built yearly. According to the BBC, UK Business Secretary Greg Clark considers the choice to build EV Minis in Britain a "vote of confidence" despite Brexit, and that it would see battery technology development boosted in the UK. By the time the EV version starts production, UK will likely have already left the European Union. The electrification of the Mini is part of BMW Group's continuing addition of full-electric or plug-in versions to all its brands and model series. Of all the vehicles it will sell in 2025, 15-25 percent will be electrified in one way or the other. Similarly to Volvo, BMW sees flexible production to be in a key position in the future: The facilities would have to be able to build all versions at the same time, as markets fluctuate depending on incentives and infrastructure. If EVs sell strongly, the production process can quickly respond to the demand. An electric Mini underwent trials back in 2008, so the full-scale production vehicle would have over a decade's worth of engineering behind it. Green BMW MINI mini ev bmw group