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Mini Superleggera Vision concept
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Mini Superleggera Vision concept
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25th May, 2014
Mini revealed their latest concept car - the Mini Superleggera Vision - in
Italy at Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2014 this week-end. This exclusive interpretation of an open-top two-seater was
made by Mini and Touring Superleggera (the coach building company based in Milan, Italy).
The Mini Superleggera Vision is on the one hand a classic roadster, a compact and agile two-seater, expressing the
most minimalist and emotional style of motoring; and on the other hand its electric drivetrain gives the car distinctly
modern driving dynamics.
In collaboration with Mini, Touring Superleggera has designed and built an elaborately crafted, unique model which
blends the tradition of classic coachwork construction with the Mini’s authentic British styling to make timeless
aesthetic appeal.
- Modern Britishness meets Italian flair: the iconic design of Mini meets elegant, athletic beauty - interpreted in
contemporary style.
- Classic Italian body construction and hand-shaped metal sheeting give the Mini Superleggera Vision a unique emotional
appeal.
- Both on the inside and outside, the form is reduced to the maximum extent so as to achieve a clear focus on the
distinctive driving experience.
- The interior reflects traditional coachwork construction in terms of materials and styling, combined with the icons
of Mini interior design.
- High-end materials such as leather, aluminium and black chrome highlight the clear aesthetics of the interior.
Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design on the concept: "Touring Superleggera and Mini have
much in common: both companies attach great importance to their history and this is something which defines their outward
appearance to this day. What is more, they both emphasise iconic design and distinctive solutions. These elements are
merged in the Mini Superleggera Vision to create an elegant automobile which interprets a British roadster under the
influence of Italian style and hand craftsmanship."
British design with an Italian accent
"The Mini Superleggera Vision elegantly perpetuates what the Classic Mini started 55 years ago: reduction to the
essentials. Its energetic, minimalistic design embodies the dynamic essence of an automobile. At the same time it creates
unique emotional beauty in combining the past and future of the automotive industry, i.e. traditional coachwork
craftsmanship and modern design styling. It was a pleasure for me to design a concept like this." says Anders
Warming, Head of Mini Design.
The perfectly balanced proportions indicate at first glance what the electrically powered Mini Superleggera Vision has
to offer in terms of a driving experience: the stretched bonnet, long wheelbase and cool, short overhangs convey pure
driving fun. As in every Mini, the wheels are set widely on the body, promising a high degree of agility. The passenger
cell is slightly set back, further underscoring the car's dynamic impression. The overall effect of the Mini Superleggera
Vision is sporty, elegant and dynamic.
The front of the Mini Superleggera Vision features the traditional Mini design icons: two circular headlights and a
hexagonal grille define the unmistakable front section, providing a contemporary interpretation of features which have
become firmly established over decades. There are also striking classic sports car elements such as a wide track and
distinctively curved wheel arches that give the front a dynamic presence. The classic Mini bonnet stripes are
three-dimensionally embossed and run on into high-quality polished aluminium accents. The inlaid bonnet harks back to
classic British roadsters of bygone days.
Meanwhile the horizontal rib look of the radiator grille adds a classic sporty touch. The fact that it is closed is a
discreet indication of the car's electric motor. The two fog lights echo the circular contours of the headlamps,
providing a smaller interpretation of them in the radiator grille. The air inlets are also circular, giving the front
section a distinctive touch. A flat front splitter made of carbon fibre closes off the front to the road, thereby
underscoring the car's sporty statement down to the last detail.
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Classic coachwork construction
The striking element of the side view is the characteristic “Touring” line. It embodies both the high art of coachwork
building and classic aesthetics. Surrounded by tight, seamless surfaces, it traces a precise, vibrant movement from the
front wheels through to the rear. This reflects the great craftsmanship and longstanding experience of Touring
Superleggera in area of body construction: ever since it was founded the company has stood for fine, light sports car
bodies. To this day, Touring Superleggera™ shapes large aluminium sheets by hand using the most performing frame
structures. The hand-crafted style of construction gives the Mini Superleggera Vision an aesthetic form which would be
virtually impossible to achieve by machine manufacture.
“Mini and Touring both believe that proportions are the key factor of beauty, and share the same values of
essentiality and innovation” says Louis de Fabribeckers, Head of design of Touring Superleggera. “In this car all
unnecessary equipment or decoration is sacrificed, as performance is gained through lightness and efficiency of the body
work and interior. The Italian touch is in the proportions and the typical waistline.”
There are very few gaps in the body since it is constructed from large sheets of metal. The result is a closed look
that conveys high-quality elegance. The specially developed exterior paint finish Como Blue, almost liquid in effect,
stands for both classic and modern style. It particularly underlines the refined Italian touch of the Mini Superleggera
Vision. The elaborate rims and the elegant exterior mirrors in long-hole look complete with a mirror base in polished
aluminium add exclusive accentuations at the side. Echoing the front section, the discreet CFRP sills underscore the
sporty character of the Mini Superleggera Vision.
Meanwhile the striking fin defines the look of the rear, adding a touch of extravagance. It gives the Mini
Superleggera Vision a particular longitudinal dynamics while at the same time embodying the unconventional air of both
Mini and Touring Superleggera. Like the “Touring” line at the side, it is modeled with enormous precision. The highlight
of the flat, wide rear is the unusual lights: designed in the form of a Union Jack divided in two, they combine
functionality and symbolism in a way never seen before. In this way they express the British roots of the Mini
Superleggera Vision while at the same time emphasising the modern LED technology as already used in the new Mini. A
chrome bar demarcates the rear lights at the centre of the rear, making this area a classic British jewellery icon. The
CFRP diffuser rounds off the rear to the road in sporty style.
Interior design
The exterior and interior design of the Mini Superleggera™ Vision merge seamlessly. Only a surrounding shoulder line
in polished aluminium visually separates the exterior and interior from each other.
In its styling and in the look and feel of its materials, the interior design celebrates the tradition and the essence
of classic coachwork construction. It reflects how the automobile was made: the essential features are quoted - the
untreated aluminium sheeting and the tube-shaped structural elements - and they are made visible in the interior by means
of a high-quality interpretation. This is most striking in the dashboard. The latter is made from a single aluminium
sheet and has been left in the state the automobile body would look like without a paint finish. The generously sized
unpainted surfaces and the clearly visible hand craftsmanship of the dashboard go together to reflect the skilled
artistry of the coachbuilders. The doors and the sporty 3-spoke steering wheel likewise reveal the traditional method of
construction. The structural elements in the doors form a Union Jack, discreetly indicating the British origins of the
Mini Superleggera Vision.
The centre instrument in the middle of the instrument panel draws on Mini design styling and has been extended for the
Mini Superleggera Vision to include a touch-sensitive control element and two circular instruments with metal surrounds
on the right. In addition to the analogue clock on the far right, the second framed instrument activates the camera which
is integrated between the driver and front passenger seat. It has the function of capturing those particularly worthwhile
moments on the road.
Classic and modern to equal degrees - colour and material design
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The classic materials aluminium and leather in a virtually untreated state define the reduced aesthetics of the Mini
Superleggera Vision in the interior. Below the shoulder covered in brown leather in the classical colour Sabbia, the
materials are kept to the essentials. The structural elements in the doors and centre console are finished in
high-quality black chrome, exclusively set apart from the aluminium surfaces and the raw, matt textured paint finish in
the footwell area. This deliberately contrasting mixture of structured surfaces and high-end materials gives the Mini
Superleggera Vision an exceptional charm. The sporty bucket seats are reminiscent of bygone Mini motor racing
achievements and are covered in high-quality black leather. True to the Mini Motto "Hide & Reveal", accentuations in
Misty Magenta provide a touch of Italian flair in tongue-in-cheek Mini style in concealed spots such as the two hot air
outlets under the instrument panel and inside the door openings in the structural elements of the doors.
About Touring Superleggera
Since 1926, Touring Superleggera has been involved in automotive design and custom coachbuilding. The Italian company
is one of the few firms offering the whole in-house productive cycle from the first sketch, all the way through surface
engineering and structural analysis, style models and prototypes, to turn-key, low-volume production of special body
work.
“We are delighted that Mini wanted to stimulate an independent initiative and particularly Italian design for the
first time”, says Piero Mancardi, CEO of Touring Superleggera. He continues: “This project also shows Minis
attention to preserving and nurturing the skills of craftsmanship incorporated in modern coach building.”
The Mini Superleggera™ Vision epitomises the potential of “Carrozzeria” in today’s automobile industry: blending
creativity and flexibility with rigour and respect of high standards. The result is a car of classic beauty that is also
state of the art.
E&OE.
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