Adhering to the essence of car making for 65 years, yet restless.

When it comes to classic compact cars, MINI is a brand that cannot be bypassed. Founded in 1959, MINI carved out its own niche in the era of gasoline-powered vehicles.

“In many people's hearts, MINI has always been a paradigm of agile driving, simple, pure, and inherently playful.” Such comments have echoed through MINI's advancing wheel tracks for 65 years now.

If we delve into the century-long story of automotive development, countless brands have been lost to history. Yet, MINI remains uniquely positioned.

Why is that?

It's because MINI has never been content to rest on its laurels; it has always kept pace with the times in its relentless pursuit of innovation. Now, with the advent of the electric era, a new journey of exploration begins.

Electrification is driving industry transformation and bringing many advantages, such as horsepower democratization and intelligent upgrades. However, existing vehicle designs struggle to fundamentally mitigate the compression of interior space caused by battery packs. To offset this, new energy vehicles are being designed larger and larger.

An undeniable fact is that road standards have remained largely unchanged for years, making parking in standard spaces increasingly challenging. Addressing this consumer pain point has become a key area of focus for automakers.

Today, MINI's long-held design philosophy of “Less and Better” presents its answer to the times.

Classic Design Masterpiece

As a classic of the gasoline era, MINI has adhered to a design principle since the birth of the classic Mini in 1959: stripping away unnecessary adornments to return the car to its most practical form, as envisioned by founder Sir Alec Issigonis.

This philosophy has become ingrained in MINI's DNA, guiding the brand from the gasoline era to the electric era, with a shared goal of creating the most practical and enjoyable driving experience.

On August 27, MINI, with 65 years of glory, unveiled the second model in its new electric MINI family, the MINI Aceman – an electric vehicle that embodies the MINI spirit and once again disrupts the new energy market with its innovative design philosophy.

The Aceman adopts an innovative 5-door, 5-seat design while maintaining MINI's characteristic compactness, with an overall length of 4076mm, standing out in an era that favors larger electric vehicles.

Naturally, one might wonder how such a compact vehicle can comfortably accommodate five passengers. Addressing this challenge is where MINI's design ingenuity shines.

MINI leverages its short front and rear overhangs, continuing the classic “four wheels at the corners” design reminiscent of go-karts. The separate arrangement of the motor and battery optimizes the center of gravity, ensuring ample interior space for daily use while the slightly over 4-meter length enhances urban maneuverability.

For electric vehicles of this size, balancing interior space with overall height poses a design challenge. While electrification enables more flexible interior layouts, it also increases floor height due to battery placement, resulting in taller interiors compared to gasoline-powered cars.

This is an industry-wide issue.

MINI offers a unique solution. While ensuring battery capacity, the Aceman employs an H-shaped lithium-ion high-voltage battery pack layout, minimizing the loss of interior height caused by the battery pack and providing a comfortable riding experience with ample headroom, legroom, and foot space.

With this battery pack design, the Aceman stands at just 1515mm tall while offering a 147mm ground clearance, achieving a triangular balance between battery pack design, ground clearance, and overall height, resolving a significant challenge in electric vehicle design.

The design principle of “ingenious use of space” makes this expressive crossover seem different from classic MINIs while still carrying on their spirit.

In the cockpit design, the Aceman adopts a high-cost approach that balances classic elements with innovative digital experiences. In the electric era, in-car screens have become the primary means of human-vehicle interaction. While most screens are rectangular, restless MINI persists with its distinctive round screens.

Building on the classic MINI design, the circular instrument cluster is a hallmark interior feature. Entering the electric era, MINI boldly continued this tradition, introducing an industry-first circular OLED center console screen on the Aceman.

This screen boasts a 240mm diameter and 13.25mm thickness, offering a pixel density of 181ppi for a premium viewing experience. However, such design comes at a significant cost pressure.

MINI's commitment to this design stems from its dedication to preserving the MINI style and ensuring a joyful driving experience. To facilitate user interaction, MINI developed a highly compatible new operating system tailored to this unconventional panel.

The ninth-generation MINI operating system, paired with the round screen, fills the entire display with a user-friendly interface. All elements are seamlessly integrated, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable user experience that maintains MINI's unique interface style.

The all-new electric MINI Aceman offers eight distinct “MINI Experience Modes,” each with unique and exploratory vehicle settings, fully leveraging the advantages of electrification.

For example, the “Retro Mode” blends powertrain sounds from the 1959 classic MINI to the high-performance MINI John Cooper Works GP. As acceleration intensifies, the sound transitions from traditional combustion to pure electric, immersing drivers in MINI's rich history.

In the new “Nomad Mode,” the iconic circular OLED screen transforms into a large compass, enabling drivers to confidently navigate both familiar and uncharted roads.

In essence, while the Aceman is a new crossover, it remains true to MINI's classic design philosophy. MINI aims to create new masterpieces in the electric era, grounded in its timeless principles.

Creating Classics with Masterpieces

The electric era has seen an abundance of electric vehicle models. However, many gasoline car enthusiasts feel a void, believing that electric cars lack the pure driving pleasure beyond mere speed.

MINI's unique tuning preserves the exhilarating go-kart-like driving experience that sets it apart.

For instance, the MINI ARB acceleration-slip regulation system ensures robust acceleration from a standstill.

In cornering, MINI Further optimization its classic chassis design, enhancing steering precision with a 15% increase in caster angle over the previous generation, coupled with highly preloaded anti-roll bars for improved grip.

Moreover, the Aceman integrates electronic and hydraulic brake control more seamlessly. It provides precise braking feedback to drivers while ensuring safe, controllable braking even in the event of electronic control failure.

Furthermore, the Aceman undergoes rigorous testing and validation standards consistent with BMW Group's global practices, ensuring every product is a masterpiece.

The “Three Highs” testing program, ongoing since 2021, subjects vehicles to extreme conditions ranging from the frigid Arctic Circle to scorching 50°C deserts. It covers every vehicle detail under “high cold, high heat, and high humidity” conditions, even differentiating between “wet cold” and “dry cold” in extreme cold tests, to ensure the highest quality MINI products for customers worldwide.

However, the “driving pleasure” of the electric era extends beyond the act of driving; it also encompasses novel and comfortable in-cabin experiences. Therefore, on the software front, the Aceman continuously explores new user experiences, blending classic elements with fresh insights.

While embodying MINI's DNA of attractiveness, fun, and ease of driving, the Aceman showcases its unique charm. As a crossover in the MINI product line, it embodies BMW Group's electric exploration journey.

The Aceman's unique urban explorer spirit offers a distinctive driving experience, encouraging users to continually push the boundaries of their knowledge and understanding.

65 years ago, MINI created a classic model that defined an era. Today, MINI remains committed to its core principles, offering joy to everyone through the innovative Aceman. In the electric era, MINI remains true to its roots.