---
title: "The Minis in 2003’s The Italian Job Were Electric Because LA Didn’t Want Fumes in Its Subway Tunnels"
description: "At the time, they were the only electric Minis on the planet."
date: "2021-04-01"
modified: "2021-04-01"
authors:
  - name: "Chris Tsui"
    job_title: "Contributor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/chris-tsui.md"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/tech/39973/the-minis-in-2003s-the-italian-job-were-electric-because-la-didnt-want-fumes-in-its-subway-tunnels"
categories:
  - "Car Tech"
  - "Electric Vehicles"
  - "Mini News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
tags:
  - "Electric Vehicle"
  - "MINI"
---

# The Minis in 2003’s The Italian Job Were Electric Because LA Didn’t Want Fumes in Its Subway Tunnels

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2021/03/ExYOQcXWgAAdqzQ.jpeg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Almost 20 years before Mini started selling [all-electric Cooper SEs](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/34202/the-2020-mini-cooper-se-is-a-fun-ride-thats-over-too-soon.md>) or [developing John Cooper Works EVs](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/37909/the-next-mini-john-cooper-works-looks-like-the-electric-hot-hatch-we-deserve.md>), a trio of electric Minis had already existed.

Remember the *Italian Job* remake from 2003? The one with Marky Mark and Charlize Theron? Fun fact: to film that movie's underground car scenes, the production team had to make its three R53 Cooper S star cars electric because the city of Los Angeles didn't like the idea of getting fumes all up in its subway tunnels.

![message-editor%2F1617044584783-exyoqcxwgaadqzq.jpeg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1617044584783-exyoqcxwgaadqzq.jpeg>)
**Paramount Pictures via @DrivinTheater | Twitter**

As @DrivinTheater on Twitter points out:

https://twitter.com/_/status/1375483936017539077

[According to director F. Gary Gray](<https://youtu.be/DP7sXrRHh2E>), a dude who perhaps not-so-coincidentally went on to direct [the eighth *Fast & Furious* movie](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/8214/fast-and-furious-8-car-builder-dennis-mccarthy-takes-us-around-doms-dodge-ice-charger-letties-65-vette-and-more.md>) years later, "They wouldn't allow us to shoot in the tunnels with cars that had combustion engines. So I said, 'Okay, great, we'll just get electric Minis and that'll be fine.' We called BMW and he said there aren't any electric Minis, they don't exist."

Gray continued, "John Carpenter, my transportation coordinator, did a great job at figuring out, engineering, and building a trio of electric Minis. The only electric Minis that existed on the planet Earth. It's one of my favorite moments with the Minis because of the size. I mean, you can't imagine any other car doing this stunt except the Minis."

And, thanks to the magic of the internet, here's the stunt in question.

https://youtube.com/embed/2bkNfQBLCJw

Did you wake up this morning thinking you were going to see Jason Statham driving a Mini Cooper down a flight of stairs with Mos Def riding shotgun? Yeah, neither did I.

*Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach them here: chris.tsui@thedrive.com*

## Author
Chris Tsui is *The Drive*'s former Reviews Editor and current freelance automotive journalist. He's based in Toronto.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/cltsuii/>)

## More

- [Mini’s First EV Will Reportedly Be a High-Performance Hot Hatch](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/25849/minis-first-ev-will-reportedly-be-a-high-performance-hot-hatch.md>)
- [The New Mini Countryman Needs to Be Mini’s Porsche Cayenne Moment](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/the-new-mini-countryman-needs-to-be-minis-porsche-cayenne-moment.md>)
- [Mini Made an Electric Convertible Cooper SE, But Sadly It’s Not for Sale](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/mini-made-an-electric-convertible-cooper-se-but-sadly-its-not-for-sale.md>)
- [The 2020 Mini Cooper SE Is a Fun Ride That’s Over Too Soon](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/34202/the-2020-mini-cooper-se-is-a-fun-ride-thats-over-too-soon.md>)
- [The Electric Cooper SE May Be The Biggest Lifeline Mini Gets For A While](<https://www.thedrive.com/tech/32185/the-electric-cooper-se-may-be-the-biggest-lifeline-mini-gets-for-a-while.md>)
- [Next-Gen Mini Cooper EV Gets 240-Mile Range and Up To 215 HP](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/next-gen-mini-cooper-ev-gets-240-mile-range-and-up-to-215-hp.md>)
- [Mini Aceman EV Concept Brings Retro Kitsch Into the Future](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/mini-aceman-ev-concept-brings-retro-kitsch-into-the-future.md>)
- [Tesla-Powered Vintage Mini Cooper Throws Down With 300 HP](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/tesla-powered-vintage-mini-cooper-throws-down-with-300-hp.md>)