25 Nov 08
While 500 Mini Es are out on test in New York and Los Angeles over the next year, this is one of the things on which feedback will be sought by BMW's restless product planners. If the loss of "coasting ability" is regretted it can be removed, or just dialled back a bit so the car feels less impeded while giving regenerative charge.
The only other responses that mark this out as a battery rather than a liquid fuel car, are the torque steer under hard acceleration, and a certain amount of weighting up of the steering in fast turns at low speed.
What else feels like Mini E? Only the Lexus 450 Hybrid, my first and only other experience of the endless accelerative effort of an electric motor which has you hurtling up the road in a manner that suggests imminent take-off. It's enough to bring on a giddy fit and hysterical laughter.
