Report: On the road in the Mini Cooper SE Cabrio: New old times

Report: On the road in the Mini Cooper SE Cabrio
New old times

The verdict of the deceased is clear. “No one needs an E-Mini Cabrio like that!” You have to know that the lady used to choose a Mini Cooper as her company car instead of a German premium station wagon, but is now an enthusiastic Tesla Model 3 driver. Now one can argue that the Musk disciples are quite fond of their brand and therefore appreciate little other vehicles. But with a range of around 491 kilometers (with the 60 kilowatt hour battery), Tesla aficionados have the arguments on their side, at least in this area. Especially when you consider that the Mini can only travel 201 kilometers with one battery charge. Sometimes the Tesla Super Charger filling stations are further apart.

But now it is the case that a Mini Cooper cannot be evaluated with ignoble facts. The German-English speedster is a matter of attitude. You move it out of conviction. Even if the original attributes were watered down a bit during the BMW aegis. Nevertheless, a Mini still exudes more charm than a US Stromer. Especially since the battery-electric topless vehicle is part of a renaissance. BEVs no longer just mean SUVs, but now also with the fabric hoods. The Polestar 6 is a handsome roadster (scheduled for 2026), as is the MG Cyberster, and the new Mini SE will also have a version with a retractable roof.

We are happy about the trend against the electric monotony of stilts and swing behind the steering wheel of the Mini. Sure, the folded fabric roof makes it difficult to look back, the infotainment is getting old and the driver assistants are actually not worth mentioning. But this trip is not about a plus-minus balance, but about the fun factor. Ok, convertible purists will complain about the missing engine sound. The electronic tinkling below 30 km/h is not a particularly animating soundscape. But in the stop-and-go rubbish in Palma de Mallorca, the missing underscore isn’t particularly noticeable anyway.

We let ourselves drift north-west and it quickly becomes apparent that the mini-electric vehicle feels at home on country roads and wide curves. The immediately available torque of 270 Newton meters gives the Mini Cooper SE Cabrio a very special sovereignty. With a light press on the gas pedal, the seemingly inevitable pickup trucks on Spanish roads and the Mallorcan self-proclaimed Tour de France cyclists are overtaken. This is what gliding looks like. Even without the sonorous sound of an in-line six or eight-cylinder power plant under the hood. The electric convertible decelerates, also because the speed limit of 150 km/h on the smaller roads does not have the same effect as when driving from Munich to Hamburg.

We continue on the bright asphalt past small walls, olive trees, cypresses, cistus or jacaranda trees in the villages to Esporles, a small community in a valley of the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range. In spring the hills are still lush green and the air is bursting with oxygen. Now the king’s stage is piling up in front of us. The Coll de Sóller, a mountain pass that winds its way up from sea level to a height of 497 meters between the two picturesque mountain massifs of Alfabia and Teix. We ignore the modern tunnel and use the traditional Ma-11A pass road with its 6.8 km long ascent and gradients of up to 17 percent, not without catching a glimpse of the famous wild goats first.

This is the right challenge for Sport mode. Now the system gets everything out of the 135 kW / 184 hp electric motor and heaves the 1,545 kg convertible up the mountain. One curve follows the next, the car never comes to a rest, but remains confident, even if the tight bends are not necessarily the ideal habitat for the Stromer convertible. But with the help of the thick steering wheel rim, we always have the Mini under control and also master small-radius asphalt turns. The fact that the topless Stromer weighs around 100 kilograms more than the tin roof version and is concealed by a balanced chassis set-up, you only notice the tighter setting of the springs and dampers when the road surface is broken and potholes.

We opted for the strongest recuperation and shovel energy back into the storage whenever possible, which has a positive effect on the battery charge level, especially when going downhill. With a bit of foresight, you can do without the brake pedal both on empty roads and in urban environments. This also works in the coastal city of Deià, where world-famous personalities such as the unforgettable actor Peter Ustinov, the great Spanish painter Pablo Picasso or the British musical genius Andrew Lloyd Webber have found a home. We continue to strive towards the end point of our tour. Consumption: 17.9 kWh/100 km. That’s something to be proud of. Less the price: because it is 60,000 euros.

press release