Classic Minis have been changing hands at auction for big prices as of late, but a ‘new’ vintage Mini with electric power will be significantly more expensive than pristine original examples.
UK company David Brown Automotive has announced the availability of the Mini eMastered – a version of the iconic British car with a battery under the bonnet instead of a petrol engine.
However, customers will need to pay through the nose if they want one, with each costing in excess of £125,000.
Who would fork out such an eye-watering sum for a small EV? There’s a celebrity with an eye for talent who has become the first owner of one, as we reveal below.
That’s not a Mini pricetag: David Brown Automotive now sells an electric version of its modernised British classics. But they don’t come cheap
David Brown Automotive is one of a few coachbuilding businesses in Britain recreating classic cars in bespoke form for well-heeled customers.
It has been specialising in reborn Mini Remastered cars with up-to-date powertrains and components, which it has sold to deep-pocketed drivers for prices up to – and in excess of – £100,000.
But the eMastered will be its costliest Mini yet, starting from £25,000 more than the most expensive petrol sibling.
With the original Mini going on sale some 64 years ago for just £496, this electrified version is 252 times that price.
Even when you take into account historic inflation (using This is Money’s inflation calculator), that 1959 price tag translates to £13,815 today. That means the Mini eMastered is still nine times what the original would have cost.
Customers will need to pay through the nose if they want one, with each version of the Mini eMastered costing in excess of £125,000
The original Mini went on sale some 64 years ago for just £496, this electrified version is 252 times that price. Even when you take into account historic inflation and that 1959 price translating to £13,815 today, the Mini eMastered is still nine times that
Who would fork out such an eye-watering sum for a small EV? There’s a celebrity with an eye for talent who has become the first owner of one. Find out who that individual is lower down…
Its latest creation takes a British cult icon that dates back to the late 1950s and turns it into a retro motor ready for 2035 – the recently delayed date the UK Government will oversee the end of sales of new petrol and diesel cars.
Incredibly, the eMastered is said to weigh no more than the 1959 original – tipping the scale at a feather-light 640kg.
That’s despite being fitted with a 18.8kW battery under the bonnet sending power to the front wheels.
It provides an official range of just 110 miles – likely less than 100 miles in winter with the heating on.
The coachbuilder says this is enough range ‘for effortless city travel with total peace of mind,’ though we’re sure many drivers will beg to differ.
The compact battery is married to a 72kW (97 horsepower) electric motor and single speed transmission that can propel the expensive electrified classic from 0 to 62mph in 8.5 seconds and to an electronically-limited top speed of 92mph when the driver is using its ‘Sport Mode’.
The EV is capable of 6.6kW AC charging via the charging port housed in the same location as the original fuel filler cap.
Plugged into a typical homecharger, the battery can be fully replenished in just three hours, the company states.
The A-Series engine up front has been replaced by a 18.8kW battery that provides an official range of just 110 miles – likely less than 100 miles in winter with the heating on
The EV is capable of 6.6kW AC charging via the charging port housed in the same location as the original fuel filler cap
The compact battery is married to a 72kW (97 horsepower) electric motor and single speed transmission that can propel the expensive electric classic from 0 to 62mph in 8.5 seconds and to an electronically-limited 92mph when the driver has selected ‘Sport Mode’
Incredibly, despite the addition of a battery and electric drivetrain, the eMastered is said to weigh no more than the 1959 original Mini – tipping the scale at a feather-light 640kg
Like all other models created by David Brown Automotive, the Mini eMastered can be tailored to its owner’s tastes with a swathe of luxury trappings inside the compact cabin.
Each model will come with leather seats with embossed ‘DB’ logos, chunky knurled metal switchgear, alloy foot pedals and a riveted wooden steering wheel.
The Silverstone-based firm has also modernised the instruments with a digitalised vintage cluster behind the steering wheel and a high-definition central infotainment screen that has both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The interior has been brought up to date with modernised retro styling, including a rivetted wood steering wheel and chunky metal switchgear
The Mini eMastered has a high-definition central infotainment screen featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
The vintage Mini speed has been modernised with a small digital readout, meaning it retains the original looks but with a 21st Century twist
The seats, door inserts and dash now feature high-grade materials, with the David Brown Automotive logo embossed into the chairs
The leather seats in tbe back are also impressively finished – and come with seatbelts, which isn’t a must on all classic Minis
On the outside, the legendary Mini silhouette is retained, though with flared wheelarches shadowing classic Minilite-style alloy wheels. LED headlights and rear lights complete the look.
Paint colour, decal selections and interior material options are very much down to the customer placing the extravagant order.
The company says the Mini eMastered ‘raises the bar for owners seeking a modern classic that offers a clean, quiet, and convenient driving experience’.
The front headlamps and rear light cluster is now LED, meaning better visibility at night
On the outside, the legendary silhouette is retained, though with flared wheelarches shadowing classic Minilite-style alloy wheels
The company says the Mini eMastered ‘raises the bar for owners seeking a modern classic that offers a clean, quiet, and convenient driving experience’
Michelle Gay, sales and marketing director at David Brown Automotive, adds: ‘There is an inherent challenge in electrifying such an iconic model, to retain the high levels of reliability, performance, and quality that our customers expect.
‘Mini eMastered is a shape that captures hearts and minds, and it is the embodiment of our passion, vision, and commitment to sustainable luxury today and into the future.
‘With an unwavering dedication to British craftsmanship, innovation, and sustainability, we have earned global recognition for our renowned handcrafted automotive masterpieces and today we are proud to showcase our electric future.’
Simon Cowell already has one…
Simon Cowell already has a Mini eMastered. It’s actually his Mini Remastered petrol with the driveway switched to the new e-Mastered setup
Despite only being made available last month, David Brown Automotive has already delivered its first eMastered Mini to a celebrity customer.
Music mogul, television star and the man who brought X Factor to our screens (yeah, thanks for that), Simon Cowell, is the first to get his hands on one of the electrified classics.
However, it’s not necessarily a brand new model.
In fact, it’s a petrol Mini Remastered he took delivery of in 2020 that first had a 1.2-litre A-Series engine that’s since been replaced with the battery and e-motor drivetrain by the David Brown workshop.
His reborn Mini was ordered in 2019 to replicate the Lotus Esprit Turbo driven by Sir Roger Moore in the 1981 007 film, For Your Eyes Only.
The Silverstone-based brand painted the Mini in the same ‘copper flow’ and ‘sahara gold’ scheme as the Bond vehicle and it is complete with a like-for-like livery of hand-painted stripes and ‘turbo’ emblems from the Esprit – despite the fact there’s never been a turbocharger under the bonnet on this car.
While it doesn’t have the ski rack the film car is famed for, the bespoke 13-inch spoked alloys have been made especially to replicate the BBS wheels fitted to the Lotus.
Cowell’s retro Mini is based on the Lotus Esprit Turbo featured in 1981 Bond film, For Your Eyes Only (pictured). It is famed for its unique colour design and the fact it had ski racks attached to the rear deck
Speaking about his £125k electric Mini, Cowell said: ‘Now with the electric motor, you’ve got that immediate torque, so you have instant acceleration as soon as you hit the accelerator, that’s the beauty of driving electric’
Speaking after having the electric conversion completed by David Brown Automotive, Cowell said: ‘This has always been my dream car. It was on my wish list; one day I wanted to have a classic Mini. Then I read about this company, and I thought, I’ve got to have one of those.
‘I have to say, of all the cars I’ve ever had in my life, this is my favourite, this is a keeper. When I went to the factory, you could tell that every single person had really given their heart and soul into this, there’s so much passion behind it… you know this car has character.’
He added: ‘Now with the electric motor, you’ve got that immediate torque, so you have instant acceleration as soon as you hit the accelerator, that’s the beauty of driving electric.’
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