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Iconic 1998 Classic Mini Sustainably Reinvented by Legendary Paul Smith

While most things change, others are better the same. As a manifest for the next generations, British designer Sir Paul Smith in collaboration with Oliver Heilmer, Head of MINI Design, have intertwined the past with the future in a sustainably Recharged MINI car.
Sir Paul Smith and MINI Recharged 19 photos
Photo: BMW Group
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With the peculiarities that have made MINI a resilient success over time, Sir Paul Smith has reinvented a 1998 Limited Edition (one of only 1,800 units) Mini into a modernised electric car for emission-free driving, bringing the heritage of thr carmaker to a next level. This was possible by installing a 72-kilowatt electric motor.

One of the things that remained intact is that electrifying shade of blue, inspired by a swatch taken from one of Paul Smith’s favourite shirts, while the lime green battery box brings back a 1990s color palette, outlining a fresh design on a classic car.

The minimalistic concept of the MINI STRIP, launched in 2021, can also be recognized in the new MINI Recharged as a signature of Paul Smith. With some exposed parts, the interior is raw, simple, yet with some evidence that there was a 1998 car in there. The bodyshell with its bare, unclad floor pan takes you back to the past, while the rustic floor mats made of recycled rubber on top brings you back to the future.

A magnet next to the steering wheel accommodates the smartphone, which, apart from the speedometer, replaces almost all the old buttons and functions on the dashboard, making it an innovative part of the car. The bold personality of the British Designer can also be seen in the wheel, and as funny as it sounds, it can be completely removed to facilitate getting in and out of the car.

Keeping the original idea of the iconic Sir Alec Issigonis, creator of the first Mini, the current project of Paul Smith highlights a car with "minimum fuel consumption, maximum use of space", in a way that the inventions of the past shape the innovations of the future.

At the Salone del Mobile 2022, visitors will have the opportunity to see the newly designed model as well as last year’s MINI STRIP, in a unique showroom enlivened by the colors of MINI Recharged, a signature of legendary Paul Smith.

“Ideas are never the problem, you can find them everywhere. The challenge is to implement them. Here it worked. A dream has come true" said Sir Paul Smith.

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