The Aceman concept, a futuristic take on urban mobility, was unveiled by MINI a few weeks ago. It was obviously made for the next generation of drivers, with a funky interior, a sizable dashboard screen, and playful animations. However, its exterior was much more subdued than its wild interior. So I wonder what the finished product will look like. The Aceman, however, doesn’t appear to be all that different from a typical five-door MINI in some recent spy images. (The images can be seen here; we do not own them
) Despite this test mule’s fairly unremarkable exterior, you can tell it is the production Aceman because of its peculiar headlight design. It appears as though the headlights are shaped similarly to the Aceman concept, unless MINI is playing a trick on us by using camouflage. Like the concept car, this vehicle has a low roofline that tapers toward the rear and has a high shoulder line and short windows
Even though the test mule’s front air intakes appear to be larger than those on the Aceman concept, they could still be useful intakes for cooling the battery. With no options for an internal combustion engine, the MINI Aceman will only be available as a battery-electric vehicle. It will be constructed on the brand-new Spotlight platform, which was created in China by BMW and Great Wall jointly. Future MINI models will be supported by this new platform, which is an all-electric scalable architecture
When the MINI Aceman is released, it will essentially replace the MINI Clubman and most likely have the same powertrain choices as the MINI Hatch. So anticipate a base Cooper model with 181 horsepower front-wheel drive and a more potent Cooper S model with 221 horsepower
This brand-new MINI Aceman piques our interest because it heralds an exciting change in MINI’s product lineup. The brand will be better off for switching to all-electric vehicles because it will stand out in the lineup. Additionally, electric powertrains are better suited to the entire MINI ethos. I’ve driven almost every type of MINI you can think of, starting with the original Mini Cooper S and progressing through the 1990s Leyland-owned classic Mini and nearly every model of MINI currently on the market. The majority of them have been enjoyable to me. But never once did the engine rank among their top five best features. Electric power is just so much more appropriate for a brand that lives on low-down torque, low speeds, and big fun because MINI has never been good because of its engines. I’m eager to try MINI’s new electric future, which includes the Aceman
[Source: Autocar]
