Original Mini with modern EV powertrain goes into production

Sixty years after the iconic, and now impossibly tiny-looking original Mini hit the streets, a new, all-electric version has been unveiled at the London Classic Car Show - and not just as a concept, it’s a production-ready car people can actually buy.

The Swind E Classic Mini combines a fully restored original Mini body with a bespoke electric powertrain shoehorned inside by a company called Swindon Powertrain, which has a 40-year history in the UK of providing engineering expertise to car makers and motorsport teams.

Produced in leafy Wiltshire, the Wind E Classic Mini “instils all the affection of the original with state-of-the-art EV technology to create an individual, nippy, zero-emissions city car with character”.

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Keep in mind that EVs get a free pass on Congestion Charging in cities like London, and how fabulously easy the diminutive Mini would be to park, and it actually makes sense that people would buy this thing, as long as they weren’t particularly tall, or in need of carrying passengers. Or luggage (although the removal of the petrol tank has increased boot space to 200 litres).

The electric powertrain offers 80kW of power, compared to the original car’s wheezy 25kW, and a single-gear transmission for seamless grunt and instant torque. It has a city-car range of 200km, a top speed of 130km/h and a 0-100km/h time of 9.2 seconds.

The new old Mini no doubt caused quite a stir at the London Classic Show, where Swindon Powertrain was taking orders for its initial production run of 100 cars, available in either left or right-hand drive.

Prices start at $142,000, which sounds like a lot, but then this is a car that redefines the term 'modern classic'.

Do you love or loath this electric classic? Tell us what you think in the comments below.