MINI has definitely seen better days as the sales figures in the US haven’t been exactly what the doctor ordered. The brand is facing some scrutiny from its fans, especially as it’s trying to move away from its traditional car-making pedigree. Models like the Clubman and the Countryman signal a new era in Oxford but that may be just the tip of the iceberg as we’ve come to learn. In a recent interview, MINI’s Head of Exterior Design, Christopher Weil explained that the management is looking to make a transition to the digital era.
This week we got to see the new MINI Hardtop and Convertible models unveiled in Detroit and the facelifts are indeed bringing terribly small changes in terms of exterior design. While some rushed to consider this simple laziness, the man who signed off on the changes thinks this is exactly as the two should look like. “Model updates – or Life Cycle Impulses, as they are also known – always involve treading a fine line between innovating and preserving,” he said. “The modifications and impulses of the current model update can be found in the smaller details, and they are both right for the car and in touch with the times.”
And while some may think otherwise, we’re fans of the new headlights and taillights mostly due to the integration of the Union Jack motif. However, moving into the future, Weil thinks these things will matter less on the long run, with a possible digital evolution dictating the pace. “MINI is going digital, but I imagine it will do so in a somewhat warmer, more personal and human way than other brands of car. People will continue to come first at MINI, not technology. Our technology will, of course, still be state-of-the-art. And in some areas we will even lead the way,” Weil said.
That’s perfectly in tune with what the CEO of the brand said earlier this week in a similar interview. It looks like the future will be digital and that the focus will be more on how the car makes you feel rather than how it looks. In this regard, personal assistant will definitely play a huge part and we can’t wait to see what the future holds. You can read the whole interview here.
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via Tingle Cars