From Autoweek.nl (translated from Dutch):
Mini has been working together with Bisazza (an Italian design brand) and presents four Mini’s that have been dressed up with mozaiks. The four Mini’s premiere on April, 13th at the Salone Internationale del Mobile in Milano, Italy.
Zebra, Summer Flowers, Tartan en Dama: those are the four
themes. In total, 142,700 glass mozaik tiles were used on the cars. Responsible for the designs are Bisazza employees’ Carlo dal Bianco and Marco Braga. The key element in the design is that the patterns and colours are in harmony with the shape of the car in all three dimensions. Both Mini Cabrio’s used 31,700 tiles while the closed Mini’s have 37,000 each.
You can see more photos with the original story below:
[ Mini aangekleed ] Autoweek.nl
Thanks Laurens for the translation!
<p>Well that will certainly increase waiting times now won’t it…</p>
<p>=D =D =D</p>
<p>So now instead of using Zaino, we can buff our MINI’s out with floor polish? Shall we lay in a supply of Swiffers as well?</p>
<p>Off topic…
but is the server on <a href="http://www.mini2.com" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.mini2.com</a> down?
Thanks…</p>
<p>Yup, looks like it :(</p>
<p>Those look really FUN! I’d love to see one. And I don’t think I’d want to own one. Upkeep and how much weight do all those glass tiles add to the vehicle?</p>
<p>I applaud the craftsmanship. But even the Piet Mondrian-ish design is boorish and the rest are not my taste.</p>
<p>I think they should have gone to the folks that did the SMART cars fun paint coverings.</p>
<p>Looks to be back up. Maybe Paul was doing a little maintenance.</p>
<p>This makes me wonder if BMW shouldn’t think about including the MINI when they consider their next “Art Car”.</p>
<p>Design & aesthetics aside it’s yet another mini covered in decals. Call me old fashion but art cars should be painted (some degree of craft involved)
-Not a chance Mini/BMW will let anything like this see the light of day!</p>
<p>Opps! I saw the article in Dutch and see now that the cars are tile. Wow hope they use PC7 or some space shuttle adhesives. Got to be heavy.</p>
<p>They certainly give the goods overseas don’t they?
Doubt we’ll see a lot of that happening here with MINIUSA.
Scion does a lot of fun things with their vehicles here, participate WITH their consumers, etc.</p>
<p>Get on the ball MINIUSA.</p>
<p>Anyhow, the mosaics are neat, but seems to me that their effect is lost… and many of us just “cringe” a little when looking at it.
On their own, or on a Lincoln Towncar, I’m sure they’d be beautiful. Heh</p>
<p>I wonder how much weight this adds to the car? I bet a few hundred pounds!</p>
<p>Here’s some cool pics of another art car of sorts, a full scale, entirely wooden Ferrari F50. Of course it doesn’t run, but is quite a work of art.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.woodworkersauction.com/amazprojferrari.htm" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.woodworkersauction.com/amazprojferrari.htm</a></p>
<p>Does anyone know what happened to the roll of Scotch Tape…oh/…never mind!
hs</p>