Photo: MINI
MINI is looking into its own future of motoring, which will include a new personal assistant. Inspired by the English bulldog, which has been used by MINI since its modern-day birth in 2001 as part of the BMW Group, it’s called Spike, and will assist owners of the brand’s upcoming models by making their daily commutes more pleasant.
Spike will be showcased at Auto Shanghai in China, which runs between April 18 and 27, adorning the circular OLED screen and dashboard of the new MINI Concept Aceman. It will also be able to stretch its legs by walking on the rest of the dashboard, and it should be a quirky little four-legged friend whose goal is to “invigorate” the connection that people have with their vehicles. The new personal assistant will be joined by a large-format sculpture at the motoring event in the People’s Republic starting next week.
Speaking about Spike, the brand’s chief of design, Oliver Heilmer, said that it is “not just a design experiment,” but a “characterful companion for the user experience.” From Auto Shanghai, where it will take center stage in the company’s new show car, which will probably be an update of last year’s Concept Aceman, Spike will make its way to MINI’s next-generation vehicles. The upcoming Countryman is one model that might get this feature as early as this year, alongside the upcoming Cooper, believed to be due in 2024, and the production Aceman that already celebrated its spy shot debut last fall.
Word on the street is that the Aceman will be a successor to the Clubman. It will allegedly be based on a dedicated EV architecture said to have been developed by the BMW Group and Great Wall. As usual, lesser models will get single-motor setups, whereas those willing to pay more money will allegedly be able to order theirs with dual-motor configurations, and the obvious electric all-wheel drive system. Nevertheless, if the latest intel turns out to be correct, then the dual-motor variants of the car will be introduced later on, as it should debut with single-motor powertrains.
It is yet unknown when the MINI Aceman, which was previewed by the eponymous study last year, will be introduced, though some say it is due either next year or in 2025. It will have looks inspired by the concept, with similar headlamps and taillights. The charging port will be located on the right rear quarter panel, previous spy shots have revealed, and it will sport a closed-off grille and a slightly sloping roofline. The latter will contribute to its sporty design, and while it will probably not eat into the headroom of backseat occupants, it will likely affect the cargo area behind them.
Speaking about Spike, the brand’s chief of design, Oliver Heilmer, said that it is “not just a design experiment,” but a “characterful companion for the user experience.” From Auto Shanghai, where it will take center stage in the company’s new show car, which will probably be an update of last year’s Concept Aceman, Spike will make its way to MINI’s next-generation vehicles. The upcoming Countryman is one model that might get this feature as early as this year, alongside the upcoming Cooper, believed to be due in 2024, and the production Aceman that already celebrated its spy shot debut last fall.
Word on the street is that the Aceman will be a successor to the Clubman. It will allegedly be based on a dedicated EV architecture said to have been developed by the BMW Group and Great Wall. As usual, lesser models will get single-motor setups, whereas those willing to pay more money will allegedly be able to order theirs with dual-motor configurations, and the obvious electric all-wheel drive system. Nevertheless, if the latest intel turns out to be correct, then the dual-motor variants of the car will be introduced later on, as it should debut with single-motor powertrains.
It is yet unknown when the MINI Aceman, which was previewed by the eponymous study last year, will be introduced, though some say it is due either next year or in 2025. It will have looks inspired by the concept, with similar headlamps and taillights. The charging port will be located on the right rear quarter panel, previous spy shots have revealed, and it will sport a closed-off grille and a slightly sloping roofline. The latter will contribute to its sporty design, and while it will probably not eat into the headroom of backseat occupants, it will likely affect the cargo area behind them.
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