What are we looking at?
Just when you think the MINI brand couldn't possibly screw more marketing potential out of one nameplate, along comes this - the Citysurfer Concept, an electric-powered scooter.
What's the best thing about it?
It's properly mini, because it can fold down small enough to fit in the boot of the latest MINI three-door. And, as anyone who's seen a three-door MINI's boot will tell you, that's pretty small indeed. It apparently weighs just 18kg and incorporates a gearless hub motor in the rear wheel, a thumb-operated accelerator and a lithium-ion battery fixed into the frame. All told, it can get up to 25km/h and go up to 25 kilometres on a charge, although you can use it as a normal scooter once the juice runs out. Actually, MINI says the electric drive of the Citysurfer Concept 'is not activated until a minimum speed is reached from the rider's own physical thrust'.
The brakes deactivate the motor and they can also employ energy regeneration to recharge the battery; charging otherwise is via a 12-volt in-car socket or a household plug. Finally, there's a mobile phone holder on the handlebars so you can use a navigation programme for the final part of your journey - how about Last Mile Navigation, part of the MINI Connected XL Journey Mate option on the car?
Show stopper or filler?
Filler. And we're really surprised you even had to ask us.