Photo: BMW Group
Teased since last fall, the custom MINI STRIP is finally here, a fresh, minimalist take on the iconic car. The one-off, custom-made vehicle is a classic with a twist.
MINI turned to designer Paul Smith for a new perspective and redesigned a three-door MINI Cooper SE, stripping it down and going back to the very basics. Aiming to inspire a new type of automotive design, MINI STRIP has been created with three important values in mind: sustainability, simplicity, and transparency.
Calling it a “twinkle in the eye,” MINI used recycled materials for several parts of the STRIP, such as the dashboard topper pad, door shoulders, and parcel shelf. The floor mats are also made from recycled rubber, while the grille trim and the covers on the wheels are from recycled Perspex, with the latter material also being used for the panoramic roof.
At first glance, the entire exterior of the car looks raw and unconventional, with an unfinished body and visible screws. A thin film of transparent paint was the only thing applied, for the mere purpose of offering protection against corrosion. MINI also left grinding marks from the factory intact on the steel panels, creating a “perfect imperfection” effect, as Paul Smith calls it.
The carmaker 3D-printed the front and rear apron inserts leaving the materials in their basic form, with no polishing and beautification whatsoever.
But just because it is intentionally made in a minimalist, raw manner, it doesn’t mean the automaker skimped on details, even though you have to look more carefully to spot the unexpected.
Paul Smith’s signature stripes are proudly displayed in five vivid colors and strike you as soon as you open the doors. The inside of the charging flap is in neon green and on the outside of the flap, you can see a drawing of an electric plug, which was Paul Smith’s personal work.
You can see the lack of trimming and the minimalist approach when you step into the STRIP as well, with the driver’s smartphone taking the center stage and connecting automatically to the car, thus becoming the media control center of the car. Even its steering wheel was also reduced to the most basic functions.
MINI hopes its STRIP will inspire the automotive industry to take a more sustainable approach in using its resources.
Calling it a “twinkle in the eye,” MINI used recycled materials for several parts of the STRIP, such as the dashboard topper pad, door shoulders, and parcel shelf. The floor mats are also made from recycled rubber, while the grille trim and the covers on the wheels are from recycled Perspex, with the latter material also being used for the panoramic roof.
At first glance, the entire exterior of the car looks raw and unconventional, with an unfinished body and visible screws. A thin film of transparent paint was the only thing applied, for the mere purpose of offering protection against corrosion. MINI also left grinding marks from the factory intact on the steel panels, creating a “perfect imperfection” effect, as Paul Smith calls it.
The carmaker 3D-printed the front and rear apron inserts leaving the materials in their basic form, with no polishing and beautification whatsoever.
But just because it is intentionally made in a minimalist, raw manner, it doesn’t mean the automaker skimped on details, even though you have to look more carefully to spot the unexpected.
Paul Smith’s signature stripes are proudly displayed in five vivid colors and strike you as soon as you open the doors. The inside of the charging flap is in neon green and on the outside of the flap, you can see a drawing of an electric plug, which was Paul Smith’s personal work.
You can see the lack of trimming and the minimalist approach when you step into the STRIP as well, with the driver’s smartphone taking the center stage and connecting automatically to the car, thus becoming the media control center of the car. Even its steering wheel was also reduced to the most basic functions.
MINI hopes its STRIP will inspire the automotive industry to take a more sustainable approach in using its resources.
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