Somewhat surprised that nobody has posted anything about this here yet.

I think it's a great concept.



two british design icons – MINI and paul smith – strip off carbon to wear a more natural outfit inside and out. the MINI STRIP is a custom-made, one-off model co-created by the fashion designer and automotive manufacturer with an approach to reduction. it aims to highlight inspiration ideas for sustainability in car design as well as manufacturing.



the MINI STRIP was defined by an overarching theme of ‘simplicity, transparency, sustainability’. the design process began by literally stripping down the MINI electric to its structural essence – only vital elements remain. this use of maximum reduction created a minimalist yet high-class design that is fresh with sustainable solutions and unconventional, rally car-like in appeal.



‘for me, the MINI STRIP shows in an impressive way that MINI and paul smith share the same bold way of thinking about the future in terms of innovation and design – and together we create more. paul asked essential questions right at the start of the design process with his non-automotive and therefore fresh perspective. we are proud to have developed such a strong character statement together,’ explains oliver heilmer, head of MINI design.



‘I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to rethink the iconic MINI. I know and love the existing car, but by respecting the past and looking to the future we have created something very special. I feel very privileged that the MINI team have given me the confidence and freedom to think laterally about the approach to the design of the car. together, I think we have created something truly unique, by going back to basics, reducing things down and stripping the car,’ adds paul smith.



raw material defines the car’s exterior. the body was left in its unfinished state with no colored paint applied apart from a thin film to protect against corrosion. the unusual aesthetic leaves grinding marks on the galvanised steel panels proudly on display. paul smith dubs this rough-hewn effect as ‘the perfect imperfection’ of the design. screws are also left visible to showcase the car’s cycle at the end of its life. thus parts can be added-on or dismantled as needed.




elsewhere on the body, the MINI STRIP includes 3D-printed parts – made from recycled plastic – that add highly visual and textural elements to the design, including the black band and distinctive front and rear aprons. the blacked-off radiator grille and wheel covers are made from recycled perspex to reduce resources and increase vehicle range. recycled perspex was also used for the large panoramic roof to give unique views. unexpected details match the car’s unusual aesthetic. up close, passengers can find the paul smith stripes in a vivid composition of five colors at the door opening. a splash of neon green adorns the charging flap along with the fashion designer’s engraved drawing of an electric plug.



inside the MINI STRIP, again the car has been left bare; an exposed blue-colored body shell is dominant. all trim parts have been removed apart from the dashboard topper pad, door shoulders and parcel shelf – all of which are made from recycled cork. the main segment of the dashboard consists of one large, semi-transparent section with a smoked-glass finish. unlike other MINIs, there is no classic center instrument. instead, the driver’s smartphone takes center stage to stand and connect to the car.



the use of recycled, environment-friendly materials continues in the cabin, where it is apparent that no leather of chrome has been used. the seats are upholstered in a fully recyclable knitted fabric. similarly, the terrazzo-like patterned-rubber floor mats are also made from recycle materials. to paul, luxury is still delivered but in sustainability, as the term luxury depends completely on the ‘perspective of the user’



the steering wheel completes the minimalist design in the interior. it is reduced to its essentials. the rim is wrapped in handlebar tape, before three aluminum spokes run to the steering wheel’s impact absorber, whose mesh covering makes it possible to see the airbag within. the same style mesh also adorns the open door panels. visible screws also appear on the steering wheel, where there is a small paul smith fabric label that sits at the one o’clock position. quite naturally the stripped cabin feels like a MINI with its bare esence, architecture and rally-like feel.



*above text article copypasta from designboom.

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‘A bit of my dad came out,’ says Smith. ‘He used to drive a Morris Oxford, and had a workshop. He did everything himself, rather than get someone in to do it for him.’ That’s why the wheel arches on Smith’s Mini are held in place by visible bolts, rather than the invisible internal fixings on a production model.

‘What was wonderful was how much the team embraced the project. They were brave to allow me to do so much to a car. I hope they like my lateral way of thinking, even the naivety of my rather childlike approach,’ says Smith.

Tagged ‘Mini Strip’, the resulting car is a one-off – drivable but not exactly legal. It’s Smith’s love letter to the aesthetics of make-do-and-mend engineering. It’s a celebration of the essentially imperfect qualities of materials that the modern auto industry, focused on quality control, has spent billions on finding ways to hide under layers of glossy perfection.

a little clip from Wallpaper*

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Personal notes:

- not fond of that perspex roof and don't think it'd be particularly well-suited for real world use at all.

- love the hypermodern Chapmanesque approach, although I haven't seen any actual figures relating to weight reduction, the simplification aspect is awesome and would be really cool if some of them were implemented in production as options.

- love his signature blue color used on the interior of the STRIP, appears to be very very similar to the one used for his 1998 special edition from Rover:




I'm glad to see this STRIP exercise as a hint for what MINI is trending toward,
hopefully more clean and simplistic.

http://www.motoringfile.com/2021/08/...ed-inside-out/

MotoringFile: Where do you see inspiration in reducing elements and simplification?

Oliver Heilmer: Everything is getting more intense in terms of inspiration. I carry two phone with me and we all have so many devices. Yet you often feel like you need to calm down. Yes devices are becoming simpler (no button on an iPhone etc). But focusing on what’s important.. .this is a trend we see emerging. From one year to another it’s a wish of everyone.

In the furniture industry we already see this concept happening. But it’s not to leave things out but focusing on the details that remain.

We’re trying to reduce MINIs design exactly for that reason. The elements that are still there are important. And we need to pay much more attention on what matters in order to enhance what matters for the customer. It’s not a new idea. We’re always reflecting on the first Mini in 1959 and trying to analyze what the first Mini had and if that’s something we need to have in the future.

We look at what’s is ornamental and what do we need to take out? There’s still a need for differentiation between models… but on the other hand looking into each of those characters, we need to try to reduce things as much possible.

 

It's a silly idea really. They might have a few takers but it just proves that MINI has lost touch with its core base of current consumers. I don';t think anyone wants to admit it, but the core group now is females and they're not going to buy a stripped out e-MINI.

 

The concept makes sense but it can be carried too far just as things have gone the other way. My main dislike of 'modern' is the total and mindless reliance on computerized nannies being loaded into these machines. Total reliance on something that has a predictable failure rate just boggles me.
Best example I can think of is the television. 1950, the 'job of the future' was the TV repairman. Now when a microchip fails during your favorite re-run, it's trash. Extend that to the automobile.

 

MINI needs to realize that the key to their success is “mini”. The brand needs to stay in touch with extremely small basic (raw) cars. That may eventually mean electric but for now it means gas. They need to sell small basic raw cars (like the R53/R52). The customers for smallish cars and SUVs will feel connected to the MINI vision but only if they actually sold something mini.

 

I just stumbled upon this. I love it!
I'm not ready for an electric car yet, their range is still too short and their recharge time is too long. The infrastructure cant support them yet either. But I do love minimalism. And recycled materials, less waste, less...crap in a car. I wont buy a new car because they just have too much tech nonsense in them. A nice sound system and some cup holders are all I care to have (of which my Mini has neither ). Think of all the squeaks and rattles that would disappear without all the excess panels and fluff. No sound insulation would be noisy though and some of that fluff is there to protect the occupants. So I guess you cant just haphazardly remove EVERYTHING. It does give me a design concept to contemplate down the road though...