Flat-out driving wasn’t possible on the tight track. What was clear was how quick the car accelerated at the kinds of speeds you’d experience building up steam entering a highway on-ramp or getting through a stoplight that just turned yellow. There was very little lean even at the track’s 180-degree hairpin turn.
Most significantly, when you flip a button on the console for max regeneration, the resistance provided by the generator charging the battery effectively takes over the braking chores. Driving in a tightly bunched wave of five similar Minis, lifting off the throttle immediately slowed my car significantly for the next turn. I only needed to feather the brakes a couple of times on a 15-turn track, typically when the pre-collision alert indicator flashed in the head-up display. (The PCS warning provides ample advance notice.)
If you’ve ever been karting, this is the same one-pedal sensation: The moment you lift off the throttle, you’re effectively braking. If you haven’t karted, it’s like being aboard a riding mower when you lift. (If you haven’t been aboard a riding mower, well, it’s exciting for 15 minutes.) For drivers who find max regen unsettling, at least at first, you can flip the switch for more minimal brake regeneration.
