Electric but still light
In the wake of the brand new electric Mini Cooper, we now see a ‘new’ electric classic Mini. This time it is David Brown Automotive that provides the iconic little one with an electric motor, but more is happening.
Converting classic Minis into electric ones is certainly not a new phenomenon. In fact, ‘everyone’ should be able to do it themselves, otherwise Mini itself will be happy to give you a helping hand. Now David Brown Automotive has also ventured into it. Not entirely surprising, because the British company has been focusing on restomods of classic Minis for over six years. They always carry the name ‘Remastered’ and then you immediately understand where the name of this new fully electric restomod comes from.
The Mini eMastered, just like its fuel brothers, is a solidly crafted classic Mini with the necessary modern elements. This starts on the outside, where the LED headlights in particular are quite eye-catching. Yet you can say that David Brown Automotive has mainly gone for a classic appearance. In the interior too, although there you also see things that are clearly newer than the car that was used as a basis. We are mainly talking about the Pioneer infotainment system, which can also handle Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The Mini eMastered also has electric windows, air conditioning and a start button.
Nice and all, but what kind of engine is in it? Well, a 98 hp electric motor that drives the front wheels and helps the Mini eMastered from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 9 seconds. It reaches a top speed of just under 150 km/h. The fact that the electric Mini is quite smooth despite its relatively modest power is of course due to its low weight. David Brown Automotive has managed to keep the eMastered roughly as heavy as a classic Mini with a fuel engine; 640 kilos. That’s great, because the switch to an electric drivetrain usually results in an increase in weight.
There is a catch: the weight has remained so low largely because it has a battery of only 18.8 kWh. The driving range is not very impressive at 177 km. Anyway, you undoubtedly don’t buy this electric Mini to rack up the miles, but to take fun short rides. That will probably still be a wonderful experience. You just have to dig deep into your pockets for it: the Mini eMastered costs around €144,500.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl