The 2024 Beijing International Auto Show will open on April 25th. MINI, a classic British brand under the BMW Group, will make its official debut in China with the core model – the all-new electric MINI Cooper. As the fifth generation of the classic three-door MINI model, the new electric MINI Cooper inherits tradition, innovates, and integrates a new design language of “mini simplicity,” electric go-kart-like driving fun, and highly emotional digital interaction into the MINI brand DNA, further conveying the brand essence of MINI’s independent personality. MINI will thus embark on a new future of electrification and usher in a new stage of brand evolution.
BMW Group’s MINI brand Senior Vice President, Ms. Wu Sizhuo, said, “With the all-new electric MINI Cooper, we are providing an excellent electric urban travel option for the new MINI family. Its outstanding electric performance brings more agile handling and exciting acceleration, making the new car even more MINI than before.” “Mini to the simplest” design language inherits MINI’s classic aesthetic elements. For 65 years, MINI has been continuously reshaping the iconic success concept of the classic MINI three-door model. The classic Mini’s refined front and rear overhangs bring a “four wheels at the corners” body proportion, as well as the pioneering “two-eight principle” and ubiquitous circular elements, leaving a deep impression on people.
In the all-new electric MINI Cooper, classic Mini proportions and a large number of MINI classic elements can still be seen. This is the charm of the “mini simplicity” design principle, combining personalized aesthetics, digital technology, and forward-thinking ideas naturally, blending heritage and innovation perfectly. The new octagonal grille adopts a fully enclosed design, showcasing its pure electric identity while adhering to the minimalist design concept. The iconic round headlights cleverly create three different visual forms of “light language” through innovative “digital fusion”, and can present welcome/goodbye animations when unlocking/closing the vehicle, making each MINI not just a means of transportation, but more like a spiritual companion.
On the side of the body, the floating roof with a distinct color contrast, the smooth waistline, and the black door sills create a sleek and full look. The rear of the car features a clear and simple design, innovative MINI classic flag tail lights, and matrix LED taillights with three lighting modes. The compact electric MINI Cooper measures 3858mm in length, 1756mm in width, 1458mm in height, and has a wheelbase of 2526mm. The small size is maximized with the “small space, big use” concept. The electric power enables a pure go-kart-like driving experience. The MINI brand’s essence of go-kart-like driving pleasure has always been a favorite among MINI fans. Entering the era of electrification, MINI engineers fully utilize the BMW Group’s expertise in the field of performance, enhancing the driving dynamics of the all-new electric MINI Cooper with advantages such as lower center of gravity, wider track, and more powerful power output under the MINI pure electric drive architecture, redefining the brand’s iconic driving pleasure. Thus, the classic handling of the beloved fuel-powered models remains, while the electrically assisted MINI drives even better. The MINI Cooper SE model has a maximum motor output power of 160 kW and a peak torque of 330 Nm, delivering outstanding electric performance with quick power output response during acceleration, without any abrupt feeling from torque preloading in electric vehicles. As an electric car, it is easier to make bigger but harder to make smaller. As a compact luxury small car with a length of less than 4 meters, the all-new electric MINI Cooper pioneers by placing a 54 kWh high-voltage lithium battery at the bottom of the vehicle within its compact body, combined with an efficient electric motor. This not only provides excellent electric efficiency for the vehicle, allowing the all-new electric MINI Cooper to achieve a maximum pure electric range of 456 kilometers, but also effectively lowers the vehicle’s center of gravity, further enhancing stability and agility. Creating an immersive human-vehicle interaction experience.
MINI always focuses on users’ true emotions, hoping that any technology application serves people, allowing users to enjoy urban life to the fullest. The all-new electric MINI Cooper is equipped with a groundbreaking 240mm round OLED display. Compared to conventional screens, the hardware requirements and software UI/UX adaptation for round screens are more challenging. After exclusive research and development, the industry’s first round OLED high-resolution touchscreen was created. It is not only slim and colorful, but also integrates the new MINI operating system 9, providing unique software display effects. Through projection technology, the screen image can be extended to the entire interior panel, optimizing the cabin atmosphere with MINI’s emotional design approach, offering a more immersive interactive experience.
In the digital experience, MINI further demonstrates its playful character, showcasing the ability to simplify and personalize to the extreme. MINI has developed various ways to play on the circular screen of the new electric MINI Cooper – introducing 7 “experience modes” – including initial mode, karting mode, energy-saving mode, relaxation mode, nostalgia mode, custom mode, and dynamic mode, each with its own unique user interface and sound effects. The personalized mode features a one-click “color splash” to randomly select ambient light colors, while the “DJ mode” allows you to become a passionate DJ, starting a party anytime, anywhere. MINI brand also provides a “smart personal assistant” with emotions, embodying the versatile digital companion Spike appearing in the car. This mini digital pet has been reimagined and given new life in the digital world, offering 7 “skin” colors and 6 interactive emotions, expressing digital technology sensibly and warmly on the circular OLED display screen and dashboard of the new electric MINI Cooper, creating a closer emotional connection between people and cars in the digital world. Adhering to MINI’s basic elements, the “less is more” MINI brand design philosophy is faithfully reproduced in the interior of the new electric MINI Cooper. In the classic Mini of the past, designers retained only three basic elements – steering wheel, circular central display screen, toggle switches, creating the purest design inside the car, bold and simple. Today, the front area design of the new electric MINI Cooper pays tribute to this pure style, vividly interpreting the essence of “mini simplicity” with the same three basic elements.
At the same time, the all-new electric MINI Cooper brings the obsession of “smallest carbon footprint” into the interior. The vehicle eliminates leather materials and gradually reduces the use of chrome elements. The large curved dashboard in the front row is made of renewable woven fabric, with exquisite patterns and customizable decor; the seats are made of high-quality Vescin material, providing a delicate touch and excellent comfort; the fabric and yarn used in the roof, doors, and floor are also made of recycled materials. These modern dual-color fabrics are made using MINI’s specially developed knitting process, using recycled polyester fibers, with diverse structures, excellent texture, and easy maintenance. The combination of emotional colors and reused materials, innovative knitting design and novel color schemes make the interior space warmer, more comfortable, while still maintaining MINI’s unique sophistication and luxury.
Iconic classic design, go-kart-like driving pleasure, rich experience created with minimal resources – these features make up the legendary brand MINI. Today, the all-new electric MINI Cooper seamlessly integrates electrification and digitalization into the MINI DNA, staying true to its roots, even more MINI. On April 25th, more details about the new electric MINI Cooper products and early bird policy will be announced, stay tuned!