The new Mini Electric Convertible is a £52k limited edition soft-top EV

Mini has revealed a new car. It is called the Mini Electric Convertible, and in a surprising turn of events, it is a Mini that is both ‘electric’ and ‘convertible’.

Building on the reception received by last summer’s one-off electric Mini drop-top concept comes the full production version. Short production version, mind: Mini is only building 999 of these pocket EVs, and just 150 are destined for UK shores.

Likely they’ll be snapped up pretty quickly, too, because apparently one in every five Minis sold in Europe is an electric one, and this’ll be on sale just in time for summer 2023. So, what does your outlay – which we’ll come too shortly – get you?

Most obviously, an electrically-powered fabric soft top in place of fixed metal, able to open and close at speeds of up to 18mph. You can even set it as a sliding roof, much like the Mini Electric Convertible’s chief rival, the Fiat 500e Convertible. The latter still has a roof frame, mind, but still – both are open top, both are little, both are electric.

Underneath that roof lies standard-fit sports seats up front, a leather steering wheel, some funky lighting, ‘Piano Black’ interior surfaces, a wind deflector, a head-up display, much assistance tech, 17-inch wheels, some special badging and the familiar Mini Electric dash layout.

Even further underneath sits Mini’s proven 32.6kWh battery powering a single electric motor that drives the front wheels. There’s 182bhp and 199lb ft of torque, offering up a 0-62mph time of 8.2s. There’s a claimed WLTP range of 201km – 125 miles – which is just shy of the Electric hatch’s 140-ish mile range.

“I’m delighted that we can offer 999 Mini customers an extraordinary and exclusive open-air go-kart feeling,” Mini boss Stefanie Wurst said. Extraordinary price, mind: in the UK, this Mini that is both electric and convertible costs… £52,500. Now that’s a surprising turn of events.