In partnership with Mini
When Mini launched the newest generation of its iconic Cooper model, it also undertook a radical audit of its approach to interior design. As for any carmaker, the art of developing new colour and material schemes exists as an independent discipline within the Mini Design Studio. Over the past few years, Mini has not only developed new patterns, colours, and micro design details, but encouraged external collaborators to explore ways in which the signature Mini elements can be reimagined for a changing age.
The new Cooper is a case in point. With a more minimal approach to the interior architecture of the car, the scene was set for the design department to use materials and textures in a more structural and dynamic way. Enthusiasts will note there’s a new and more holistic Mini design language at play, inside and out.
With simplified bodywork and more graphic lights reiterating Mini’s playful character and scale, the interior has been stripped back in homage to the original 1960s car, with the world’s first circular OLED screen as its centrepiece.
To supplement this simplified approach, the emphasis has been placed on giving the upper dashboard surfaces, seats and door trims a more visual and tactile quality. Colour, too, plays a vital role. ‘We wanted to use colours that respect the heritage of the brand and at the same time create a fresh, contemporary aesthetic,’ explains Jeanette Ohlhäuser, colour designer at the Mini Design Studio. One signature colour for the new look is ‘Dark Petrol’, found inside the new all-electric Mini Aceman. It has an obvious antecedent in the British Racing Green livery that once adorned Mini’s rally-winning Coopers in the 1960s, but in the modern era the new hue also gives off a high-tech, contemporary approach.
Textures are also important. The Aceman’s ‘Favoured Trim’ brings together a number of new visual references, with a two-tone knitted textile on the dashboard and door trim that combines Petrol with an orange pattern, as well as sport seats made from perforated vegan leather with accented stitching. Another new exterior colour, ‘Rebel Red’, is designed as a dynamic paint surface, with different lighting conditions revealing shifting shades of red and orange.
Achieving these combination finishes has required new processes and techniques. Mini’s team developed a 2D weaving process incorporating recycled polyester fibre to create the sense of depth and warmth in the dashboard trim material. ‘This process allows us to create unique dual-colour designs that bring a special aesthetic and atmosphere to the interior,’ says Elena Schwörer, Mini’s textiles designer. ‘Woven materials are not only visually appealing, but they also offer a much more attractive tactile experience.’ Schwörer points out the 3D effect achieved with a lower layer of contrasting colour, which subtly shines through the upper.
Inspiration here has come from all around, notably the worlds of fashion and sneaker design. Screens and switchgear might be simplified, but the new processes furnish the new Mini with visual richness, giving the interior a unique depth and feel.
Other innovations can be found in the John Cooper Works trim. This performance variant includes headrests with specially 2D woven surfaces that extend into the shoulder areas. A new ‘Vibrant Silver’ accent colour has been used to off-set the contrasting stitching on the sports steering wheel. Practically no surface is overlooked – even the interior plastics are given a subtle but distinctive grain.
‘It is important to us that the texture of the surfaces harmonises perfectly with the other materials, such as the woven fabric in the interior,’ says Marlies Michel, the designer responsible for this surface ‘graining’. ‘The blueprints for the various surface textures used in the new Mini model family are based on influences that the design team draws from nature and science,’ Michel continues. ‘It could be the grain on wood or rock, for example – but it could just as easily be a satellite photo of the Earth, where geographic features become graphic elements, providing us with inspiration for new grain patterns and structures.’
By drawing inspiration from technology, fashion, art, architecture and even contemporary furniture, Mini’s interiors team have built a new aesthetic portfolio for Cooper and Aceman. This new aesthetic has become an integral part of the Mini experience, showing how many small individual elements come together to shape a harmonious, modern and high-quality whole. It’s a smart equation that matches the genius of Mini’s engineering package and exterior design. As the brand puts it, colour and material design = more character + more modernity. And ultimately, more Mini.
