Bloomberg News recently did an article about the new Mini E. Yours truly, Josh, the king of cool, Lewis, was interviewed due to my writings for BMW Blog. Because Horatiu is such a great guy, when Jim Efstathiou Jr., of the Bloomberg News online, contacted him he shifted Jim over to talk to me.
Jim called me in the middle of December one heavy raining morning. I was on my way to a friend’s house to help him get some stuff together for a blanket drive he had set up and funded for retired U.S. military veterans here in NC.
I talked to Jim for almost an hour. He is a very nice guy. We talked all about the new Mini E, and whether or not BMW is doing the right thing. I expressed my opinions on why I thought this was such a great thing for BMW and the enthusiast community. I also talked about why I felt the new Mini E would later become a production vehicle for BMW, as either a Mini or as something else…
I test drove the Mini E while I was at the LA Auto Show in November.
Well, I was quoted as saying, “I’m all about saving the world, one car at a time if necessary,” said Josh Lewis, owner of rawautos.com, a Web site for car enthusiasts, who test-drove the Mini E in November. “But I want to have a good time in my car. That’s exactly what the Mini E gives me.”
I’m kind of annoyed with that comment. I feel as though I made so many better ones. But, when you’re quoted by one of the largest and most powerful news organizations in the world, you tend to be okay with it.
But, just to clear up what I really said. When I made that comment I was talking about how cars like the Toyota Prius do nothing for me. They have no passion, no real drive, no ethics on what driving should be for people. All of the environmental car people I know think the Prius is pretty much worthless. No driving pleasure whatsoever. What I said after that was that the Mini was a great environmental car, but also a car for enthusiasts. And that’s why I loved it. Do I believe that we can save the Earth one car at a time? No. And I’ve said that. One thing that I do believe is that we can do small bits to help. The technology is kind of like a 3 to 1 deal. For every Prius or Mini E we drive, we are essentially using up 3 times what we’re saving just to make the car. That’s the only problem. That’s why we should have done this years ago. But, the technology will get easier, cheaper, faster, better and more environmentally friendly.
But, cudos to Mr. Efstathiou for a good article. One thing that must be said, though, is Jim’s comment, “With $5,000 down, you can lease a BMW 528i, a four-door sedan with 230 horsepower, leather seats and a full-size trunk, for about $590 a month.” While I agreed with Jim when he stated this over the phone to me, The Mini E isn’t meant for the person who wants to buy a 528. While I’d rather have a 528i in today’s world over an electric Mini, or any electric for that matter, the Mini E is for the people who want to believe that they are saving the world one car at a time.
Thanks to Horatiu and Jim for giving me the pleasure of giving my voice to more people.
-Josh
“Happy Motoring!”
