Top Down, Electrified: Mini SE Convertible Makes Debut
In mid-2022, Mini hinted at a convertible variant of its fully-electric SE model which was showcased to the public for the first time at a traditional community event in the USA.
At the time, Mini had no plans to produce the SE convertible, yet it said it would launch a range of electrified models soon. Fast forward to 2023, and the marque has revealed its production-ready Mini Cooper SE convertible, which will be offered in limited numbers across the globe.
The Mini SE convertible is everything the hatchback is but obviously without the hardtop. That means you get the same length of 3,850 mm, a wheelbase of 2,495 mm, 1,727 mm width and 1,427 mm height.
Mini's SE convertible is available in Enigmatic Black and White Silver, while the door handles, side scuttles, and the surrounds of the front and rear lights are painted in Resolute Bronze. It rides on 17" cast alloy wheels in Electric Power Spoke two-tone design.
The fully electrically-powered roof can be opened and closed at speeds up to 30 km/h.
It gets the same powertrain courtesy of a single, front-mounted electric motor fed power by a 32.6 kWh battery pack capable of 135 kW and 270 Nm of torque. It accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 8.2 seconds, 0.2 seconds slower than its hatchback counterpart.
Mini says the SE convertible will cruise for about 201 km before the battery pack is depleted – 16 km less than the hatch due to the extra weight and increased drag coefficient.
While Mini SA says the SE convertible won't be sold locally, the British marque will only build 999 units.
When the Mini SE hatch launched in SA, it immediately became the most affordable EV, priced under R1m. That allowed even the average consumer to own an electric car at a time when EVs cost, on average, double the price of the SE.
The SE convertible would have afforded consumers the same opportunity, but the added style of the convertible remains a forbidden fruit of note for the time being.
