MINI Adds Top-Down Fun To The Fully-Electric Cooper SE

MINI takes the top off the electric Cooper SE hatchback.

The MINI Cooper SE might not be the range-leading EV on the market, but when it comes to the fun-to-drive, and cuteness factor, it kind of can’t be beaten. Still, despite its charming shape, the Mini Cooper SE is limited, available only in the three-door body shape. No so, anymore – MINI has announced its intention to build another variant of the electric hatchback. This one’s a convertible.

Unfortunately, the MINICooper SE convertible will be a limited-run event. Mini has announced that less than 1,000 convertibles will be built. Also, it appears that the MINI Cooper SE will be limited to Europe, where the brand says that 1 in 5 Mini models sold there, is an EV. Exterior-wise, the Mini SE convertible looks about the same as its hatchback kin. It has the same green accents, closed-off grille, and unique 17-inch wheels. Each Mini will come with a plaque that denotes which number out of the 999 planned SE convertibles it is.

There are no estimates on how the conversion to a drop-top has changed the Mini SE’s range or performance, but we expect that there likely will be some alterations with the weight gained from the drop-top.

We think that only offering the Mini Cooper SE Convertible as a limited-series, Europe-only model is a big mistake. Currently, there are no EV convertibles on sale in the US or Canada. The Mini SE Convertible could be the perfect car for silently cruising around the streets of Southern California.

The Mini Cooper SE Convertible will go on sale in Europe, in April 2023.

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