BMW future-proofs the Mini by making it electric on its 60th birthday

WHAT looks like a Mini, drives like a Mini and costs much the same?

Er, an electric Mini?

Correct.

BMW has kept us waiting longer than an expectant hippo but finally the first battery-powered Mini for the masses is here.

Well, almost.

You can order one today but it won’t arrive until March 2020.

Here’s what you need to know.

Apart from the blobs of lime, fancy wheels and deleted poo chute, it looks no different to a standard three-door Mini.

You re-charge it from the same filler cap and the boot space is identical at 211 litres.

Mini quotes 124-144 miles per charge depending on how you drive and the instant torque of an electric motor means it has Cooper S performance.

Prices start at £24,400 (including Government plug-in grant of £3,500) which is £2,000 cheaper than the bigger battery Vauxhall Corsa-e and several grand cheaper than the puppy-dog cute Honda “e”. I think I know which one will sell best and it starts with “M” and ends with “ini”.

One last observation. There’s a giant sign at the Mini plant in Oxford that reads: “Mini. Made here. Driven everywhere.”

They could have written that 60 years ago when the first of ten million Minis hit the road – and they could still be using it 60 years from now, now that Mini has been future-proofed.

Happy birthday, Mini.