66 years after its debut, the Mini is still her. “When you get your hands on such an iconic object, the challenge becomes even more interesting,” says Thomas Sycha, Mini’s head of exterior design. “We wanted to innovate while maintaining the high recognisability of this model and so we kept the round headlamp design, but enlarged the grille surround, which now seems to smile. Sympathy is another of Mini’s key elements as well as soft shapes,” Sycha continues. “Inspired by our history, we developed a new styling language that defines our DNA. We’ve called it Charismatic Simplicity: the idea is for a design that gives each new Mini model a strong, individual character and is characterised by a simple, minimalist design language that intuitively focuses on the essential elements of the brand,” says Oliver Heilmer, head of Mini design.
“Inspired by our history, we have developed a new design language that defines our DNA. We have called it Charismatic Simplicity: the idea is for a design that gives each new Mini model a strong, individual character and is characterised by a simple, minimalist design language that intuitively focuses on the essential elements of the brand,” says Oliver Heilmer, head of Mini design.
The agile and compact silhouette has typical Mini proportions: the short overhangs, bonnet and contrast between the long wheelbase and large wheels give the fifth generation model charisma and presence on the road, emphasising a certain dynamic expression. The same that we found in the driving of the electric and sporty Cooper SE variant that guarantees power and speed thanks to 218 horsepower and a range of 400 kilometres (the battery pack is 54.2 kWh).
Inside, the front area echoes the famous minimalist design of the classic Mini. For the first model in 1959, Alec Issigonis, the inventor of the Mini designed a cockpit with a round instrument panel in the centre and the characteristic toggle bar at the bottom. Today, the Mini Cooper has a round, striking Oled display, while the dashboard is covered in fabric. The interior is modern, but at the same time there is a charming retro spirit: “We also thought of a driving mode that turns the instrumentation into that of the classic Mini. And the engine sounds like the 900 cc of the original,” Sycha continues.
