Feb 26th, 2015
Since its rebirth, MINI has partnered with a variety of designers to reflect on the future of urban mobility. In light of the 2015 Milan Furniture Fair, also known as Salone del Mobile, our favorite brand has decided to team-up with Spanish designer and artist Jaime Hayon. While these associations may seem obscure to some, the goal for MINI, its designers, and engineers is to inform their view of automotive design and possibly gain a new perspective on the matter. It is interesting to note that MINI’s and Jaime Hayon’s exercise is based on the MINI Citysurfer Concept presented during last year’s L.A Auto Show in November. More details after the break. continued →
Feb 4th, 2015
Earlier this week, we linked to an article from the Washington Post describing how car enthusiasts feel about technology-generated engine sounds. Our takeaway was that Active Sound is a necessary evil given the advances made in fuel efficiency (e.g. displacement on demand) and safety. Since I have not had the chance to exchange with an engineer from MINI about this technology, I’m the first to admit that my knowledge on the topic is very limited. With that in mind, and thanks to a detailed anonymous tip from a SME, we’ve decided to demystify the inner workings of Active Sound. In short, it is not evil and has nothing to do with fake engine noise. continued →
Jan 28th, 2015
Although most of the readers here on MotoringFile likely own or are reading about the modern MINI, we hold a special place for the car that started the craze, the classic Mini. One site which purveys modern experiences of classic automobiles tastefully is Petrolicious. Petrolicious is no stranger to stories of classic Minis (A Mini Gives You Instant Rockstar Status) and has even been guest featured on White Roof Radio. We would like to bring you to a beautiful infograph which Petrolicious created with insights into the Classic Mini. continued →
Jan 14th, 2015
Everything that we know is about to change! That’s a bold statement, but given the scoop Autocar managed to grab from BMW’s Advanced Engineering Department, we are in for a wild ride regarding future BMW and MINI models. According to Autocar journalist Hilton Holloway, the BMW Group is on a quest to a radical engineering overhaul which will result in reinventing legacy cars into all-wheel-drive range-extender electric cars. To comply with EU fuel consumption regulations, future BMWs and Rolls-Royce will boast unprecedented EfficientDynamics technologies, including:
- Mix of steel, aluminum and composites for body construction
- Electric motors as primary drive source while combustion engines act as energy generators
- Advanced aerodynamics to reducing air and rolling resistance at speed to a minimum
- 3D connected navigation systems that anticipate traffic and road types
Although it will require some time before the Group can pack all these innovations into a single vehicle, we’re already witnessing the efforts of the Advanced Engineering Department with the successful i3, i8, and upcoming G11 7 series. continued →
Dec 3rd, 2014
MotoringFile recently provided you the official press release for an exciting MINI exhibit at the BMW Museum: The MINI Story. The exhibit just opened on November 27, 2014 and Autocar has provided highlights and a gallery of photographs. The exhibit includes classic Minis, design studies for the modern MINI in addition to concepts that latter became production vehicles such as the Clubman and Countryman. continued →
Sep 20th, 2014
Official press release:
Munich/London. September 17th marks the opening of ‘Dezeen and MINI Frontiers: The Future of Mobility’, an exhibition at designjunction, London, which explores how design, technology and science are coming together to shape the future of travel. Visitors to designjunction, a flagship venue at London Design Festival (13 – 21 September), will see six of the UK’s most progressive designers come together to celebrate a collaboration between MINI and the online design magazine, Dezeen. The designers include Pernilla Ohrstedt, Matthew Plummer-Fernandez, Dominic Wilcox, Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg, Lucy McRae and Keiichi Matsuda. continued →
Aug 21st, 2014
MINI concept cars have traditionally served one of two purposes: a design exercise showcasing future brand-direction but not bound for production or a thinly veiled version of a near production vehicle. The stunning MINI Superleggera Vision unveiled at the 2014 Concours d’Elegance at Italy’s Villa d’Este and the Rocketman Concept at the 2011 Geneva auto show fall into the former category. The latter would contain the 2010 Paceman Concept and the 2009 Roadster Concept and Coupé Concept. But in a society fascinated by both transportation and dreams of the distant future, what is MINI imagining beyond the edge of the automative horizon?
The answer is the MINI Design collaboration with online magazine Dezeen “Frontiers – The Future of Mobility” which will have an exhibit at the 2014 London Design Festival. continued →
Since its rebirth, MINI has partnered with a variety of designers to reflect on the future of urban mobility. In light of the 2015 Milan Furniture Fair, also known as Salone del Mobile, our favorite brand has decided to team-up with Spanish designer and artist Jaime Hayon. While these associations may seem obscure to some, the goal for MINI, its designers, and engineers is to inform their view of automotive design and possibly gain a new perspective on the matter. It is interesting to note that MINI’s and Jaime Hayon’s exercise is based on the MINI Citysurfer Concept presented during last year’s L.A Auto Show in November. More details after the break. continued →
