Indeed, automobiles have tastefully evolved since their inception. But we have also been quite careless with the comes to being sustainable about the same. The repercussions are slowly showing up in the form of environmental issues and a dearth of raw materials. Being sustainable doesn't actually go hand-in-hand with desire, or that's what we thought until Sir Paul Smith came along.
This British fashion designer joined hands with MINI to make sustainability desirable and show the world that you can be cool while cutting down on resources. Enter the MINI Strip Concept that is an artistic way of influencing people and manufacturers to be sustainable. Smith started with a MINI Cooper SE Electric hatchback and stripped it down!
Then building it back up using materials that resonate highly with environmental-friendly was the goal, and he achieved it stylishly. The exterior body is bare-bone with no paint, and the interior lacks leather and chrome. While this transformation might feel like a bland take on things, Paul Smith worked his magic and made the simplest of changes have a head-turning effect on this humble sustainable MINI Cooper EV.
British fashion designer Paul Smith transforms a MINI Cooper SE into a sustainable fashion icon.
Paul Smith And MINI Join Hands For A Cool Take On Sustainability
Paul Smith is a cool guy in the fashion world and when he joined hands with MINI and announced a collaboration in November 2020, there sure was something cool brewing. And now we have it - the MINI STRIP. Just like the name, it is a stripped-down MINI, but contrary to popular belief, it's not for extreme performance. The noble idea behind this collab is to create a one-off specimen to show the world how to be sustainable and cool.
He has managed to add recycled materials all around and cut short of many unsustainable bits, and still make this MINI look classy. The attention to detail is impressive and anything from recycled rubber, corks, perspex, and a barebone external shell all come together to make this a sustainable fashion statement among automobiles. The theme of " Simplicity, Transparency, Sustainability" are beautifully showcased with the MINI STRIP.
MINI Strip Concept Is Based On A Cooper SE Electric Hatch
The canvas for this one-off concept was a 2022 MINI Cooper SE. This is the subtly facelifted model of the popular all-electric MINI hatchback. Most of the stripping down and building up is aesthetic, its 32.6-kWh battery pack is retained that is slated to return 110 miles to a full charge. It churns out a humble 181 HP and 199 lb-ft of torque.
This helps it do 0-60 MPH in under 7 seconds and a top speed of 93 MPH. The basic form factor is the same and retains its LED lighting layout as well. But all of the cool sustainable bits are present extensively on the inside, and it seems to be subtly done on the outside.
The Exterior Is As 'Transparent' As It Gets
While stripping off everything from the 'STRIP, the paint job wasn't spared at all and was trickled down to the bare metal. It was then given a single clear coat over the metal to protect it from corrosion. No funky colors here, in fact, no colors here! The raw appeal was taken very seriously here as even the imperfections on the body were left to give this MINI a deeper character. Some of the exterior plastic trimmings have been 3D-printed from recycled plastic.
Claddings on fenders have been given exposed screws with no remorse! The blacked-out front grille and aerodynamic wheel covers are made from recycled Perspex to save weight and resources. Even the dramatic-looking panoramic roof is made from recycled Perspex that also gives you a distinctive view of the bare bodyshell. There are subtle interesting cues on the outside like a splash of neon green inside the charging flap that has an engraved drawing of an electric plug by the artist himself!
Recycled Rubber And Cork Garlands The Minimal Blue Interior
The interior is even more impressive, courtesy of the simple yet artistic usage of recycled and sustainable materials. When it comes to interior trimming, it's just the dashboard that's present. And it's molded completely out of recycled corks. The exposed interior body panels have been colored blue to keep the contrasting appeal alive. The dashboard is a plain solid element with a holding place for your smartphone.
And instead of the instrument cluster, you get Paul Smith's signature. There are just a few toggles switches lower in the center console for the power windows and the Start/Stop button. There is no leather or chrome-laden plastic here and is replaced by knitted fabric for upholstery, and recycled rubber for floor mats. The door panels and steering airbag are layered with a meshed material.
You get a chunk of the cork-derived element atop each door which houses a wound climbing rope for door handles in orange. The seatbelts are also given the same orange shade to brighten things up. As for the door openers, those round milled aluminum bits constitute the most lavish bits in this car. All other airbags are left exposed and you see them running along the pillars.
This Thoughtfully-Made MINI Envisions A Sustainable Future
Not every take on sustainability can be as cool as this MINI. Well, most of the credit points go for the donor car and its unmistakably classy design language. Paul Smith used the 3 core themes here - simplicity, transparency, and sustainability; quite creatively.
The raw and minimal appeal of this one-off MINI STRIP without compromising on its style points gives us a refreshing view of how sustainability can be fun. There is not a single aspect of this car, that doesn't serve a purpose, and that's quite something!
Sources: Press.bmwgroup.com, Motorauthority.com, Motor1.com, Autoblog.com