In March MINI2 offered visitors an exclusive chance to put their questions to new MINI designer Frank Stephenson. It has taken some time, but on the first day the worlds press officially get their hands on the new MINI, we have your answers.
Q: From Lewis Pobjoy: “When designing the new Mini, did you have any ideas for engines or upgrades to enable the mini to run on alternative fuels?”
A: The new MINI has been designed to use the Tritec engine. Future optional engine choices are always a consideration but don’t necessarily make a large impact on the design of the car itself.
Q: From Keith Jackson: “My question is whether any last minute changes to interior or exterior have been made to the MINI as a direct result of the publics reaction to the car since being shown at all the motor shows since Paris?”
A: The car is an uncompromised answer to the original design intent. The publics reaction has only reinforced the feeling that we are on the right track. Changes to the design are normal within the life cycle because we are constantly optimizing and refining the design and build process.
Q: From “Smartbomb”: “Firstly well done on recreating such a terrific looking car…. How does it feel to have recreated such a cult car with such a large following…knowing that your design will divide and unite mini enthusiast around the world..? Or put another way to have replaced the family with Queen with Britney Spears..!!”
A: Thanks! Sure, designing the new MINI must be the dream job of every designer, I feel extremely lucky, but there’s a whole team behind the project who make the car a reality and each one has performed an awesome task in creating a car that looks, goes, and handles like nothing else on the road today. We are all very proud of our new baby!
Q: From “Buddhavelvet”: “Why is the new MINI so BIG?”
A: The MINI is 3.63 long. Compare that to other small cars on the market today and you’ll see that it’s right in there. It’s no longer feasible today to produce a car the size of the original that can comfortably carry four adults and still meet all the modern safety and crash regulations. The new MINI has the smallest 1.6 liter engine on the market and it keeps the same proportions as the original with the wheels at the corners and small overhangs. The long wheelbase and the absence of body colored pillars give you the impression that the car is longer than it really is.
Q: From Dan Hale: “What element of the design do you think succeeds the most?”
A: The hood (bonnet) without a doubt! It’s a clamshell design with the deepest draw of any car panel out there. It required two years of development to achieve a quality pressed panel. The valley area inboard of the “thighs” was constantly ripping and the narrow strip of metal below the headlamps kept wrinkling. Materials other than steel were not an option. From a front view the absence of the typical outboard shutlines contribute to create that wide look- your eyes aren’t braked by the lines. In the side view the diagonal shutline is reminiscent of the diagonal weld flange on the original Mini. It ‘s all function and form, allowing the hood to open for full access to the engine bay. It’s a very sensuous piece of sculpture and shows the character and no compromise philosophy of the car.
Q: From Jon Josephson: “My question is when will the Mini Cooper S be available in Canada and will it come in silver as opposed to the “coin” colour or is that the only silver? Is there a burgundy colour as well? Can the roof
be the same colour as the body? ”
A: Cooper S launch for North America is planned for early next year. There will be a wide spectrum of colors to satisfy most tastes and a body colored roof is offered optionally.
Q: From Bruce Kennedy: “One of the most controversial design elements (heard over and over from Classic Mini enthusiasts) is the MINI’s split grill design. As, the illusion of a unified grill only works from a single angle – low and directly in front of the car, did you consider a simpler, non-split design, perhaps in the shape of a Mk. I grill?”
A: Yes, this was considered but not followed because it lent less new
character to the car.
Q: From Bruce Kennedy: “Early Minis had a flashing green indicator lamp on the end of the turn
signal stalk. This featured provided a lot of character to the first Minis. I understand this was proposed for MINI, but later abandoned. Why?”
A: Theoretically it’s nice but in reality it’s another story. For one, it’s hidden from the driver’s viewing angle by the steering wheel spoke and hand most of the time and secondly, it doesn’t correspond to normal practice where red is on the left and green is on the right.
We hope that you find these useful, even if you didn’t get your question answered on this occasion. A special thanks goes out to self confessed MINI2 fan Frank Stephenson for giving some of our visitors this unique Q&A opportunity.
Tags: design, frank stephenson, mini, mini cooper, mini cooper s
Where did Frank Stephenson learn to design the Mini Cooper Convertible?