Mini and its particular editions have a personality all their very own. Few carmakers have made limited-run fashions really feel as trendy, stunning, and collectible as this British model beneath BMW’s wing. And the most recent collaboration with Sir Paul Smith continues a long-standing design relationship — whether or not powered by electrical energy or petrol, what issues most is that it’s a Cooper.
Mini’s aptitude for themed editions is the stuff of legend. Bond Avenue, Mayfair, Camden, Bayswater, Baker Avenue and Hyde Park have all featured throughout completely different generations, profitable over followers each new and used. That British id is on the core of the model, so a renewed collaboration with designer Paul Smith makes good sense. And the place higher to debut it than in Japan, the place Mini enjoys iconic standing, particularly in Tokyo?
“It’s not typically two British design icons get to work collectively like this. It’s fantastic that our partnership has lasted so lengthy,” says Sir Paul Smith. “The Mini Paul Smith Version was a privilege and a terrific alternative. New colors and refined particulars add a contact of shock.” The collaboration dates again to 1998, and in 2022, one of many unique fashions was transformed to electrical drive. Maybe most putting was a 1999 one-off completed totally in Smith’s trademark “Signature Stripes”: 86 strains in 26 colors, impressed by a spool of thread.
This newest model is much extra understated, reflecting Smith’s personal design sensibility. Based mostly on the Mini Cooper, the automobile is offered with electrical or petrol energy and comes painted in gray, white or black. The roof, mirrors, grille and 18-inch wheels are completed in darkish inexperienced, with the designer’s Signature Stripe showing tastefully throughout the roof. The inside is equally refined, that includes a darkish theme and a door-sill message that reads: “day by day is a brand new starting.” Unlock the automobile and a “Hi there” is projected onto the bottom — a refined contact that feels unmistakably Mini. One ultimate element: a small bunny, hand-drawn by Smith and embroidered onto the floormats. “My spouse gave it to me earlier than my massive trend reveals,” he smiles. “It’s at all times introduced me luck.”
