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MINI Partners With Designer Paul Smith to Create the More Sustainable MINI Strip
For some time now, the British car manufacturer MINI has been trying to become more eco-responsible. And in order to put its money where its mouth is, MINI has teamed up with British fashion designer Paul Smith to develop a…
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For some time now, the British car manufacturer MINI has been trying to become more eco-responsible. And in order to put its money where its mouth is, MINI has teamed up with British fashion designer Paul Smith to develop a minimalist car: the Mini Strip. Designed to illustrate the slogan “Simplicity, Transparency, Sustainability”, the Strip takes only the necessary elements from the Mini Cooper SE. In order to achieve durable yet unique parts, Paul Smith used additive manufacturing to design parts from recycled polymers.
Made mostly of recycled materials, for example the floor mats which are made from recycled rubber as well as recycled seat coverings, the MINI Strip is environmentally friendly. For example, the bodywork has only a thin layer of transparent paint to protect it from corrosion. An effect that gives the car a rough appearance, which Paul Smith has dubbed “the perfect imperfection”. As for the interior of the MINI Strip, the same method was used. It is clean, with a simplified geometry and made of recycled parts.
The sleek interior of the MINI Strip (photo credits: MINI)
3D Printed Parts
As mentioned earlier, the makers of the Strip used 3D printing to ensure that they could make sustainable and unique parts. To stay true to modern Mini designs, the rocker panels and wheel arches have been kept, but this time they were 3D printed out of recycled plastic. This is a new development for the British carmaker, which through acts like these, shows its willingness to produce more environmentally friendly cars.
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