Mr. Heilmer, when you joined MINI in 2017, how did you set about developing a vision to lead the models into the future?

Given that MINI is a very traditional brand, the question was: how do you evolve a brand like this into the future? To answer that, we went right back to the birth of the classic Mini to understand the spirit of Sir Alec Issigonis and derive from this where the MINI brand is heading in today’s context. The next step was to explore the essence of the original Mini together with our very diverse team and derive our own creative mindset. This was our foundation to develop an overall brand design vision to serve as a guiding principle in designing the new products.

What was your biggest challenge in developing a completely new design language?

The biggest challenge was and still is the profound engagement with the brand's strong history. The first MINI was an absolute disruption – but that is also part of the story. We could just say that MINI is disruption and let everything that happened before stay in the history books. But that would be to discard the heart of the brand. Instead, we now talk about independent characters – and the MINI Cooper immediately shone as the icon in our eyes. You get closer to the quintessential ethos of the original model: a powerful character, but with as few fancy frills as possible – “Charismatic Simplicity” expresses this.

What does the new MINI “Charismatic Simplicity” design language represent and how is this reflected in the new MINI Aceman?

It’s about strong characters and about each family member having their own individual place within the MINI family. For example, the MINI Aceman has a unique design language when viewed from the side, and a unique graphic for the wheel arch trims. It is compact, agile and exudes a determination to forge ahead. That is what highlights this charismatic aspect. At the same time, we have consciously kept away from superfluous stylistic elements. Our challenge was to define a distinctive character with as few design elements as possible.

How would you describe the MINI Aceman character?

The MINI Aceman is both a practical and expressive, unique companion in everyday life. It steps out into the world fresh and carefree and takes up its place at the centre of the MINI family. It is an independent character that can be quite ‘edgy’ and appeals to customers who – irrespective of their age – value individuality and distinctiveness in urban spaces.

The MINI Aceman is the first of its kind. What makes the MINI Aceman the signature vehicle for the urban environment?

The MINI Aceman fits perfectly into the urban environment as it reinterprets the classic MINI values in a modern, all-electric crossover format. It offers an elevated seating position that conveys a feeling of safety and a generous amount of space without losing the compactness and manoeuvrability that are the MINI hallmarks.

Where do you draw fresh inspiration to develop new MINI models?

Inspiration never happens by chance but comes from a regular and targeted exchange of views within our team, in which each member contributes their inspiring and fascinating experiences. One team member builds skateboards, for example, while another lived on a sailing boat for two years. I would say it is roughly split between direct and indirect inspiration. Indirect inspiration involves everything that fuels a spirit, which comes across in the materials we use as well as in the surfaces and the digital aspects. Direct inspiration is in the architecture or fashion, for example. However, creative debate within the team throughout is crucial.

How do new, sustainably produced materials influence the design process at MINI?

Our brand design vision is based on our “creative mindset”, which consists of four guiding values: heartbeat, curiosity, responsibility and daredevil. These values stand for our basic principles such as heritage, curiosity for the new, sustainability and the courage to stand out from the crowd. For us, sustainability and the responsible use of resources have nothing to do with compromise, but rather exploring new possibilities in our creative process. Instead of materials such as leather, we use alternative technologies that allow more design freedom and individualisation, for example through using patterns or two-tone colours. The 3D knit is an example of one of the central design elements inspired by the sneaker industry. We are also replacing elements: for example, chrome with our new Vibrant Silver colour for aesthetic reasons.

Which of the MINI Aceman design innovations are you particularly proud of?

Two things in particular, and they are both about size. The MINI Aceman is very compact because of its very short overhangs at the front and rear. Even so, the vehicle is extremely safe. This is the result of truly outstanding engineering work. But it’s not just the things you can see that make it special. I would also make particular mention of how the sense of space is brought throughout the interior to achieve maximum lightness.

Are there any hidden design element that you would only see on closer inspection?

The idea behind us hiding little Easter eggs was knowing that people love discovering surprises. Not always in plain sight, but a little further down the line. Digital innovation allows for this sort of playfulness: for example, the navigation arrow can be depicted as a small MINI, or a large spinning record can be displayed on the central interface. And that’s how Spike was born, an animal friend who has always been a loyal companion to the brand. This gave rise to the idea of offering a kind of digital companion. That’s how Spike got on board the MINI and now lives in the display, so to speak.

What direction do you want the MINI design to take in the future?

As a team, we believe that our “creative mindset” will remain just as relevant to us as a guiding principle for future products. At the same time, we will focus even more strongly on the value of responsibility. Curiosity and responsibility – these are the values that we are introducing into the minds of the next generation.

If there was a product outside the car segment that you could design – what would it be?

Many things come to mind, but if I had to choose one, I would say: a sailing boat. I’ve only been sailing maybe five times in my life, but I still have a fascination for open water and dealing with the natural forces that prevail there. I designed a trimaran together with a fellow student for my degree dissertation, with the question of whether it is possible to design “automotive” in an area of mobility that is not necessarily confined to the road – I believe that there is still enormous potential there.

Munich/Beijing. MINI fans can look forward to the 18th Beijing International Automotive Exhibition 2024. From April 25 to May 4, MINI will be presenting the new generation of the new MINI Family at the China International Exhibition Center in Beijing. As part of the Chinese motor show with the theme “New Era, New Cars,” MINI is celebrating the world premiere of the first-ever MINI Aceman. With its independent, all-electric vehicle concept, the MINI Aceman occupies the position between the MINI Cooper and the MINI Countryman.

Together with the electric MINI Cooper in both power levels “E” and “SE” and the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4 with intelligent all-wheel drive, MINI is presenting the range of its new product portfolio at the Auto China 2024.

Auto China has been held in Beijing every two years since 1990. On more than 200,000 square meters of exhibition space, over 700 exhibitors present their portfolio in what is currently the world's largest automotive market.

The MINI Cooper: Maximum emotion in a minimal footprint.
With a fully electric drive, the MINI Cooper is available as Cooper E and with higher performance and range Cooper SE. Together with the octagonal front grille, the iconic round headlights define the distinctive face of the all-electric vehicle. As with the entire new model family, four vehicle trims (Essential, Classic, Favoured, JCW Trim) are available for the MINI Cooper.

At Auto China 2024, MINI presents the Cooper E in Favoured Trim. The exclusive exterior details of the equipment variant are expressively showcased in Sunny Side Yellow with contrasting roof and mirror caps in white. The MINI Cooper E impresses with 135 kW/184 hp and thrilling acceleration without delay. The battery of the MINI Cooper E (combined power consumption: 14.3-13.8 kWh/100 km according to WLTP; combined CO2 emissions: 0 g/km; CO2 class: A) achieves a range of 305 kilometers in the WLTP test cycle with a capacity of 40.7 kWh.  28 minutes of charging time at 75 kW is enough to charge the MINI Cooper E battery from 10 percent to 80 percent.

Electrified go-kart feeling with increased range.
In the MINI Cooper SE (combined power consumption: 14.7 — 14.1 kWh/ 100 km according to WLTP; combined CO ₂ emissions: 0 g/km; CO2 class: A), the spontaneous power delivery of the 160 kW/218 hp electric motor creates even more emotions. The high-voltage battery with a capacity of 54.2 kWh achieves a range of up to 402 kilometers in the WLTP test cycle.

At Auto China 2024, the MINI Cooper SE in British Racing Green is a reminiscent of the racing successes of its classic predecessor.
In Classic Trim, the two-tone black and blue knit surface on the dashboard and doors provides an elegant contrast to the high-quality seats made of vescin. The interior of the MINI Cooper is based on the new MINI design language “Charismatic Simplicity.”
The round OLED display, the characteristic toggle switch bar and the redesigned steering wheel characterize the minimalistic look of the cockpit.

 At its booth in Beijing, MINI also presents the Cooper SE
in John Cooper Works Trim. The red contrasting roof adds a characteristic highlight to the Legend Grey shade. Exclusive design features such as the distinctive diffusers in the front and rear areas, the radiator grille and the JCW logo in high-gloss black emphasize the sporty character of the trim. In the interior, JCW sports seats with multi-colored knitwear and black synthetic leather with red stitching reflect the color scheme of the dashboard and door panel.

The MINI John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4:
Powerful versatility even off paved roads.
Also in Beijing: The largest MINI. With standard ALL4 all-wheel drive and 221 kW/300 hp high-performance engine, the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4 (combined fuel consumption: 8.3 — 7.8 l/100 km in accordance with WLTP; combined CO ₂ emissions: 187 — 177 g/km; CO2 class: A) sprints from standstill to 100 km/h in just 5.4 seconds.

The typical JCW, contrasting chili red on the mirror caps, the roof and the inlays on the air outlets, together with the shiny Midnight Black shade, accentuate the sportiness of the model. The interior of the versatile MINI model offers plenty of space.
This means that even bulky items can be transported in the luggage compartment with a volume of up to 1,450 liters when the bench is folded down.

The MINI Experience Modes are available for particularly immersive driving experiences. In addition to specific graphic elements on the
OLED display, MINI fans can experience the entire interior in a new way through special lighting graphics in different colors and patterns.

Whether MINI Cooper, MINI Aceman or MINI Countryman — the new MINI Family combines the MINI typical driving pleasure with efficient drive technologies and numerous options for customization.