We’re big fans of Cool Hunting. What follows is an interview between Cool Hunting’s Ami Kealoha and BMW Design lead Adrian van Hooydonk. You can find the original interview here.
Is there a danger of being too cute with Mini?
The lines are more crisp and taut on this concept, because we feel that a Mini should always be like a friend, let’s say. But if it becomes too cute, than maybe people will see it like a toy, a teddy bear. Of course we like to appeal to young customers, but Mini traditionally is a car that appealed to people of all ages, cross-gender and all around the world.
The elements in this car, we believe are elements that could do that: keep Mini exciting, interesting fun, endearing, but also something to be reckoned with, also serious. Almost like a British bulldog—a small dog, but people take it seriously.
What are the challenges of designing small?
On a big car, it’s easy to make things move, do a door opening or a trunk. On a small car, it’s much, much harder. But exactly what Mini stands for, right from the very beginning, is being clever in a small space. And this car is full of ideas for a small space. The way the trunk opens, the original Mini had that too. In a tight parking spot, if a car is parked behind your Mini, you can still open this trunk and put your stuff in. Or the side doors, they have a double hinge that allows you to open the door, even when there’s another car parked right next to you.
How much less room does the door need?
I would say one-third, if you have to put a number to it. The Mini has quite a long door, because it’s a four-seater but a two-door car. If you open it with one hinge, you hit the other door and then you have to sort of squeeze in. With the Rocketman, we solved both issues. You can crawl in the back because the door’s quite long, but you don’t have to squeeze in through a narrow opening because of the double hinge.
That’s actually why we called the car Rocketman. On the one hand, Rocketman sounds like a brave little guy—and Mini is that, a brave little guy. But this car to us is so full of ideas, that we thought it’s rocket science by Mini. That’s why we call it Rocketman.
How did you treat the interiors for this car?
Of course we are dealing with a small car, but as a designer you can do a lot to give the feeling or the sensation of more space. We did this in the Rocketman in the sense that there is no dashboard like we know it today.
The dashboard takes up a lot of space. In the old Mini there was only a steering wheel and one big dial, and that’s what we’ve done in this Rocketman as well. But the steering wheel and the big round center dial have grown together into a structure. And then the rest of the dashboard is gone, you don’t need it.
The lighting is another feature which I believe can do a lot to create a very nice atmosphere, even in a small space. We’ve played with that a lot in the car, and we believe that the light or the light color in the future is going to play a bigger role in the whole color and material set up of the car. Right now the light is treated very separately from the materials that we use in the car, and in this concept we made it an integral part. We thought about it from the beginning, it could light up in red or blue or some other colors.
You could customize to your mood, which is something that Mini offers today. There’s just one or two LEDs in the Mini interiors today so you can change the color seamlessly from orange to blue. But in this car now, there’s big surfaces of light. And the roof of course is transparent which is another element that increases your sensation of spaciousness.
What other examples of industrial design inspired the car? We’re constantly not just looking at other fields of design, like industrial design, furniture design or fashion design, we also have a part of our team—actually a large part of our team located in California—called Design Works. And this design consultancy, we do industrial design for other companies as well. We are actually in touch with other industries, like aircraft industry, or boating. We design airplane interiors or boats exteriors and interiors.
And you always learn, so as a designer you become more creative the more you work on different types of products, or design problems. LED light is something that is coming anyway, also in furniture, also in housing. It is simply very small, it uses less energy.
It led to a whole creative outburst, because now we can position these lights in places where in the past a lightbulb would have to go in and there wouldn’t be the space. Without LED we couldn’t have done this roof or the illumination of the door panels, or the tail lamps where the air can pass through. It wouldn’t be possible.
What about the headlights?
In the headlamps, the way we use LED is we would like to make the light in a way that is soft and homogenous. We don’t like to see the dots actually, because we think it’s a little bit too bright, a little bit too cold. And we want to have the light be somewhat soft and warm.
What are the features you think are most likely to go to market?
When you’ve just presented a concept car that’s meant to go very far in the future, then that’s probably the toughest question to ask. But, the lighting ideas for sure. I would say things like the hinges, or the way the trunk works. This would be possible to put in production.
Also a lot of the surface features, the design the ideas, the form ideas we’ve put in the car, both in the interior and the exterior. I can see a lot of potential in using those because that is not necessarily technically difficult. That’s just a matter of seeing how it was received—judging by tonight that was good but let’s see if the broader audience in Geneva sees the car.
And this was also deliberate. If people see this car as part of what could be Mini, then we have just broadened our palette. We’ve just given ourselves more room to play. Because Mini has such a strong history, such a strong heritage in one car. Of course everything gravitates towards this one original car. Does it look like that car or does it not? I think this concept car will help us widen the palette a little bit, which I think is necessary to develop the brand into the future.
<p>…I like Mr. van Hooydonk’s comparison to an english bulldog; it is exactly what I see when I look at this vehicle. There is so much to like; the overall size, the sharp lines of the fenders; how the carbon fiber wheel arch surrounds flow into the front spoiler; how the lighting is used to do more then just illuminate the darkness; single exhaust at the center, where it should be; simple sensible design of the interior which allows a sense of space; a roofline angle which corrects, in MHO, the awkward design element present in the R56, and oh by the way, did I mention the translucent roof structure. I love it…</p>
<p>What.In.The!</p>
<p>The Rocketman does incorporate many new and interesting design concepts, but for me the overall “look” is “cute & chubby”; and reminds me of the original Austin Healy Sprite with its “frog-eye” headlights.</p>
<p>Those door hinges also look deadly for curious little fingers and hands.</p>
<p>“But if it becomes too cute, than maybe people will see it like a toy, a teddy bear.” Adrian summed it up nicely. I entirely concur with bringing to market many of the Rocketman innovations sans the haute couture MINI goes “Herbie” for Oscar night costume. Speaking of Oscars … Perhaps Rocketman can be further hybridized by Little Oscar’s Weinermobile. Teddy bears and weinermobiles … Now we’re talkin’ Sir E -ously, ain’t we, matey!</p>
<p>The car is only too cute if it doesn’t have some serious punch under the hood. Some of the best times are to be had in (or on) a vehicle that doesn’t have to say “don’t mess with me cuz I’m tuff” ,it just is. Like its owner the car should have the confidence no to have to flex and boast, but be able handle what comes at it. My only concern is that they will let fuel efficiency concerns neuter a car that could be an absolute ball. If this were built as a serious pocket rocket its cuteness would only add to its mystique.</p>
<p>Why don’t people realize you are supposed to hold your phone sideways when you shoot video?</p>
<p>Annoying.</p>
<p>I have to say The Dutchman has done some great designs, this isn’t one of them.</p>
<p>Please….(begging)when can I buy one?</p>
<p>This is THE Mini that I’ve always wanted.(even without the fancy bits of the concept)</p>
<p>In terms of size and packaging, the Rocketman is cleverer and looks far more pleasing than the current car.(this is just my opinion)</p>
<p>Afterall, isn’t this the philosophy that Sir Alec Issigonis would have had cherished today.</p>