BMWBLOG: Speaking of the next MINI design, can you tell us some words about where you are heading to?
Anders Warming: I think I’ve mentioned it in the first question as well, it goes for any new MINI that we’re working on in a daily life. You’ve seen this with the Paceman.
We want to make sure that every MINI is based on this philosophy of knowing where it comes from and having a lot of innovation. The reason why I use the word “heritage” is because heritage is got more to do with what’s in your blood veins, what’s flowing in your blood veins. And I’m not a big fan of the word “retro”, because it actually comes from the word “retrospective”, meaning you’re looking the wrong way. I like to look forward, knowing that heritage is sort of under your coat, you have to carry it, but with the element of innovation we look forward.
Innovation also means that we’re going to be focusing increasingly on issues like connectivity, because that’s part of the life that people live, and obviously we also have a big display as far as the connectivity today, but this will also be a central pillar in the future design of MINI interiors.
One thing that I always say and that is very important for me to put is that the round display in the center of the MINI is here to stay. I believe that the central display in each MINI is an icon, and this is where all our connectivity really has to have a inner stage, where people could really live their connected life through the central display.
So some of the questions that have been “Will MINI always have this round display in the middle?”, I will definitely say “Yes, confirmed”, because it’s such an important, strategic and iconic feature.
BMWBLOG: That is somehow anticipating our next question: what technical innovations will have a major influence on design?
Anders Warming: We mentioned one already: connectivity. I believe that the way we sit in the interior and the way we feel connected to the world is a huge, important thing, We also displayed that in the Concept Rocketman shown last year; that really shows what connectivity could be like, how it could be lived.
Another thing that is very important for me to the interior, as far as innovation goes, is that material quality, we focus on this premium level of materials, in order to make sure that we maintain that, and we also introduced new materials and new kinds of use and patterns that takes it to different levels.
We believe customization is in the forefront and that customization only really makes sense if you’re basing it on a certain level of quality.
The third thing I want to mention in terms of innovation is the focus on small, on light weight, making sure that the word MINImalism is part of our language. So we really have precision in the form language and we keep it as short and as focused as we can; lightweight and Minimalism is in the forefront.
