When Sir Alec Issigonis designed the original Mini, with its front wheel drive, transverse-engine and space saving features, he influenced an entire industry that would change the future of the auto industry. His goal was to produce efficient, affordable transportation for the masses. The Mini proved to be a huge success that still exists today.
In a similar way, Elon Musk may be influencing the same auto industry into ushering in a new era of transportation. This time however, in addition to space savings (mostly because there is no engine under the hood), the real game changers are the performance he is achieving out of the 100% pure electric power plant and the artificial intelligence technology that is packed into every Tesla.
Of course, today Tesla produces cars that START at $70,000, which is far from affordable to the average person. However, Elon Musk is only on step 2 out of a 3 step master plan that aims to produce Teslas that are “affordable”.
“Step 1” was of course, the expensive Tesla roadster that debuted in 2008 for over $100,000. This was a high price, low volume car that provided funding for research and development for today’s current “Step 2” Model S and Model X vehicles that are slightly lower in price (relatively) and mid volume cars. Again, the sales from these vehicles are helping fund the final step – “Step 3” which is Tesla’s endgame – the “affordable” Model 3, which will begin production at the end of 2017 for a starting price of $35,000. 
Now let’s be honest – $35,000 is still a lot of money for a car to most people. However, when you compare the performance and technology of what is expected in the upcoming Tesla Model 3, I can’t find another vehicle that even comes close at the price point Tesla is aiming for. Not to mention the fuel cost savings that are a by-product of using an all-electric vehicle (if you believe the estimates that for every $100 in gas you spend at the pump, you can expect to pay $30 at home charging). This may be exactly what the auto industry needs to take notice and make changes to the way it is run to offer safer, more advanced vehicles at more affordable prices in the future (ie. well below even the $35,000 that Tesla is aiming for).
In addition to the innovative advances that Tesla is bringing to the table, much like Sir Alex Issigonis did back in the 1950’s, another interesting similarity between Tesla and MINI has popped up – the enthusiast community. Looking back to 2001 or 2002 when the “new” MINI Cooper started to roll out of the showroom floors, MINI turned heads with a unique vehicle that people fell in love with. The enthusiasm behind the brand grew out of the rich history of the original Mini, but it also introduced new enthusiasts, some who had never seen an original Mini, to one of the most fun cars on the road. Forums were active with member activity and podcasts popped up dedicated to the brand.
Similarly, the Tesla enthusiast community has some loyal fans of the brand. The recent introduction of the Tesla Model 3 as provided a boost in numbers to the community, as shown by the 400,000 Model 3 reservations that Tesla was able to collect. There are several community forums as well as podcasts dedicated to nothing but Tesla.
Today, the MINI enthusiast community is mature and still going strong, even though some would argue that MINI has lost its way with new variants that are anything but MINI. The brand still is attracting new buyers and many previous owners still are buying the new MINI variants. The one argument that comes up often that I would agree with, however, is that the price of the MINI lineup is no longer as “affordable” to most people. A well optioned MINI Cooper S Hardtop today can cost about $35,000 where a well optioned MINI Cooper S convertible can cost about $38,000. Of course you can get a base Cooper for about $23,000, but it is lacking many of the popular option packages.
This is important to note because once you cross into the $35,000 mark, there are quite a few other vehicle options that pop into the equation. Now you are in the ballpark of vehicles from BMW, Audi, and yes, Tesla.
As many of you know, my wife drives a 2012 MINI Cooper S Countryman. Her next car is a few years out and originally we were going to see what the new Countryman will cost in 2019 or so… Based on what we are seeing with the MINI Clubman, it is pretty clear to see that the new MINI Countryman will be in the $35,000-$40,000 range. This price point crosses the threshold I mentioned a few minutes ago and with Tesla’s Model 3 unveil at $35,000, it has caused us to be open to the possibility that we would keep the 2012 MINI Countryman for my son and my wife could be sporting a new Tesla Model 3 in a few years. 
Yes, we were one of the first 200,000 people to plunk down a $1,000 to reserve our spot in the Model 3 queue which puts our estimate at sometime in 2019, so timing works out well. Of course there are many details still to be released and a lot can change between now and then so it is good that the deposit if fully refundable. We also will need to test drive a Model 3 when they are available to make sure we like it, but so far it looks amazing. For now we are left test driving the Tesla Model S to get a feel for how an electric car handles. Stay tuned for my review from that test drive coming up shortly.
