2018 New York Auto Show: The Classic Mini Electric will take you back to the future

The Mini took everyone by surprise at the 2018 New York International Auto Show with a very special car – the classic Mini Electric. Although there are no specifications available at the moment, the Mini Electric is a new take on an iconic car, says the British carmaker. 

With the Mini Electric, the carmaker wants to demonstrate its seriousness for the electric future. The first pure electric Mini is at least a year away. But the one-off classic Mini packing an electric powertrain is an interesting concept and we want one too. This electric car has a red paint job with a white roof and a pinstripe on the bonnet. Rally-style lights deck the front along with the new Mini E logo, which lets us know that this one’s a zero-emission Mini. However, the British carmaker remains tight-lipped about what powers the Mini Electric. But this retro car is said to get ‘spontaneous’ power from its electric motor and its unmistakable go-kart feeling as well.

The classic Mini Electric is just a brand exercise before a fully electric production Mini arrives in 2019. That will be a three-door Cooper, manufactured at the carmaker’s Oxford facility. The fully-electric Mini will arrive in time for the 60th anniversary of the classic Mini. It will be based on the Electric Concept showcased last year at the Frankfurt Motor Show. However, the production model’s appearance will be low-key, confirms the carmaker.