I have long been a champion of EV Resto-Moded Classic Minis. Since driving in 2018, I’ve been obsessed with the idea of a classic mini with an electric powertrain. For starters, I’m a great fan of the regular classic mini. Its compact size, sleek handling, and charmingly simple cabin make it pleasant to use and suitable for electric motor switching. In the UK, you can actually buy an EV Resto-Moded Mini and it is called Electrogenic Mini.
Electrogenic is a company that restores many classic cars with electric motors; Land Rover Defender, Porsche 911, even Triumph Stag. However, the Mini can still be their best, as the classic Mini is perfect for EV power. In this new review of Car Magazine, we see why.
The best thing about this Electrogenic Mini is that it has a five speed manual transmission. The Electro-Modified Mini I drove many years ago also had a manual transmission and it was one of the most enjoyable, unique driving experiences for me. There’s no such thing as a clutch slipping or something like that – it’s just power off, on the clutch, shift gears, off the clutch, on the power. It’s all very binary and all very simple. A manual transmission in an electric car is completely unnecessary and in fact probably reduces the range but it makes the experience more fun, so more brands should do it.
Electrogenic uses Hyper 9 electric motors in its cars, capable of up to 120 bhp. However, in this particular mini, it only makes 65 bhp because it is used as a tourist go to London. Also, you don’t need a lot of electrical energy to make the ultra-light mini fun ৷ It has a range of only 80 miles but, I don’t know if you’ve ever driven a classic mini, many don’t want to drive more than that. Rubber cone suspension is not exactly enjoyable over long distances.
Since the EV Resto-Mode Mini is one of my dream cars, because it will make every day the most fun for the driver. People in the UK can now get one from Electrogenic and it is a high cost price even if it is only for manual transmission.
[Source: Car Magazine]