Being careful with an icon

When it comes to making changes to an iconic car like the BMW Mini, a designer faces restrictions, writes Brian Byrne. Especially when looking at incorporating technology like the next generation of pedestrian safety.

"You have to find a level between the 'must' changes, such as for pedestrian protection, and not changing the character of the car dramatically," says Carola Weyers from BMW's Design Department, who was responsible for the design, colour and trim aspects of the revisions of the Mini range for 2011. "You must be careful that you don't step away from the iconic element."

For a car which is such an icon as the Mini, that's particularly difficult. Though the BMW version only dates back to 2001, the roots of the car are still clearly buried in the 1959 original, even if that car looks like a child's toy compared to the modern model.

The refreshed lineup due to arrive in Ireland in September has a number of external detail changes, none of which individually change the car significantly. But taken as an overall package, there's a sense of onward movement in the style. The same can be said of the interior.

"We refreshed the colour programme, and we invented a new cloth design inspired by the diamond pattern in Burlington socks," says Carola. "We also 'calmed down' all the interior surfaces, reducing the 'silver' elements and going for more neutral colours. We thought that as a kind of logical development, moving on from a flash attitude. As a child grows up, so has the Mini.

"This also allowed us to focus on other details. For instance, we could look at more extreme colours on the seats, which would have been too much with the old trim."

Carola believes that it is a trick of good design that no one element immediately causes a viewer to see that this is something different.

"If you see a product that is convincing in general, and after a while you find out what it is that convinces you, it is not disturbing. What we want to reach is that you just sit in a car and you feel comfortable with it. In this case, some things have calmed down, other things have changed technically, but basically everything makes sense."

Carola is happy that the team have brought all the interior surfaces 'closer together' in terms of reducing different colours.

"We were also able to raise the quality sense by incorporating little chrome 'jewels' inside. On the outside I am happy that we were able to integrate something that was necessary into what is still a beautiful design."