MINI is showcasing a very special concept car: the MINI Concept Aceman heralds a completely new model that will enrich the brand’s portfolio from 2024 onwards. Stefanie Wurst, Head of MINI, and MINI Chief Designer Oliver Heilmer talk about the philosophy behind the first all-electric, urban MINI crossover in this interview.
Ms Wurst, a lot is changing at MINI in the next few years. What does the future strategy of the brand look like?
Stefanie Wurst: MINI will become fully electric at the start of the 2030s. The Chinese market is becoming increasingly important, but the MINI plant in Oxford remains the heart of our production. We are expanding our vehicle portfolio with an urban crossover model, the MINI Aceman – a vehicle that stands for a new generation and perfectly covers all social metatrend bases – and with it the future needs of urban target groups.
The MINI Concept Aceman provides a tangible glimpse of this future. What will its place be in the future MINI portfolio?
The MINI Concept Aceman opens a perspective to a completely new vehicle, bridging the space between the MINI Cooper and the MINI Countryman in the future of the model family. The concept car reflects how MINI is reinventing itself for its all-electric future and what the brand stands for: an electrified go-kart feel, an immersive digital experience for our community and a strong focus on a minimal environmental footprint.
Mr Heilmer, what is the purpose of concept cars like the MINI Concept Aceman?
Oliver Heilmer: We use a concept car to communicate a vehicle that will go into series production in the coming years. We emphasise, amplify and heighten the highlights in technology and design.
What special characteristics do you see in the MINI Concept Aceman?
It is young, cool and urban. Self-confident, yet sustainable. A crossover in the best sense; always on the move, powered in the city. We started by giving it the name “Urban Prodigy” internally. We demonstrate this character by exaggerating certain elements on the vehicle. And in this case, exaggeration can also mean reduction. Less can often be more – sometimes generating a much stronger impact. A very typical, almost classic idea at MINI. We focus on three points that will shape the future design understanding of the MINI brand with the MINI Concept Aceman: a modern and iconic design language, an immersive user experience, and all this based on a fundamental principle of sustainability.