MINI strips out a MINI Electric with Fashion Designer Paul Smith

MINI has premiered the MINI Strip, a custom-made, one-off model co-created by Fashion Designer Paul Smith and MINI. The MINI Strip shines the spotlight on the issue of sustainability in automotive design and manufacturing.

Guided by the overarching theme of 'Simplicity, Transparency, Sustainability', the car showcases inspirational ideas for a more sustainable method of automotive design.

As the name suggests, the process began by completely stripping down the MINI Electric and reducing it to its structural essence. Only then were the elements that the designer viewed as absolutely necessary defined and implemented - with sustainability taking a front seat.

The body of the MINI Strip was thus left in its unfinished state with no coloured paint applied, showing the grinding marks from the factory which have been consciously left intact on the galvanised steel panels to clearly identify the car as a functional object.

Like the metal panels, parts of the MINI black band have also been 3D-printed from recycled plastic and their basic material qualities have been left exposed. Bicycle enthusiast Smith himself provided the inspiration for the visible screws in the add-on parts.

They show how simple dismantling them would be and how easily the vehicle could be reincorporated into the raw-material cycle at the end of its service life. The functional and distinctive front and rear apron inserts were also manufactured via a 3D printing process, which produced their striking texture.

Opening the doors further reveals more Paul Smith signature touches, such as the stripes in a vivid composition of five colours. The charging flap also now offers a splash of neon green when opened, while the engraved drawing of an electric plug on the flap is Paul Smith's own work.

The use of recycled, environment-friendly materials in the cabin also underpins the sustainability credentials of the MINI Strip. The interior is free of both leather and chrome, with the seats upholstered in a knitted fabric. The completely mono-material design for the seat coverings means they are fully recyclable - including the piping - allowing material circularity to be maintained.

The floor mats are made from recycled rubber with their terrazzo-like pattern a by-product of the recycling and manufacturing process, showcasing the multi-coloured constituent elements enjoying a second life as part of this material.

The dashboard topper pad, door shoulders and parcel shelf are made from recycled cork which doesn't contain synthetic binding agents - also ensuring they are fully recyclable.

The steering wheel, which is also a focal point of the interior, has been reduced to the most essential functions, while its rim has been wrapped in handlebar tape in true road bike style. Three aluminium spokes connect the rim to the steering wheel's impact absorber, whose mesh covering makes it possible to see the airbag behind.

As on the outside of the car, there are visible screws showing how easy it would be to dismantle the steering wheel at a later date and reuse the aluminium. A small, fabric Paul Smith label in the one o'clock position is one of the pointers to the collaboration that can be found in the interior.

The door panels are made from the same mesh material that covers the airbag, enabling the door structure to be clearly seen behind the mesh panels, which are held within a frame. The transparency of the knitted mesh changes according to the angle of view, adding a further dimension to the interior's appearance.

The pull handles in the door shoulders have also been made from wound climbing rope and, together with the matching seat belts, liven up the interior with their bright orange finish.