In 2011, the car market found himself at an interesting crossroads. On the one hand, the city’s compact and friendly cars were very popular, especially in populated European cities. Models such as Smart Fortwo and Carismatic Fiat 500 were prosperous, proving that there is still appetite for smaller vehicles designed for light movement and urban efficiency. These cars had benefited from the consumer’s desire to simplicity and ability to bear the costs and practical application, without sacrificing the personality or style.
However, on the other side of the spectrum, the industry began to witness a noticeable shift. Consumer preferences, especially in the main markets such as North America, were a gradual axis towards the largest compounds – SUVS, transportation processes, and trucks – which leads to increased practical application, high driving sites, and depicting reinforced safety. The regulations were also playing a role, with the most striking collision test standards and the most striking infantry safety rules inadvertently driving manufacturers to build larger and heavier cars. This trend represents a unique challenge for brands known historically for its attractive compounds. Mini, the brand whose identity built itself around the virtues of being small, graceful, and urbanly, found itself reflected deeply in this emerging paradox.
For the first time in Rocketman in Geneva
So it is not surprising that mini designers have some ideas in the store. The Geneva Motor Show in March 2011 chose a stage to present a concept car different from anything else in its modern history: The Mini Rockketman. Rocketman’s concept was not just another exercise. Instead, it was a dangerous and thoughtful exploration of how a mini -heritage developed in the changing car scene. A little more than 3.4 meters, it was remarkably similar to the original classic size, which was launched in 1959 by legendary designer Sir Alack Esigonis. Its compact dimensions made a direct spiritual successor, echoing the wonderful packaging of the original car and smart urban functions.
But Minnie knew that to pick up imagination – and justify the production of such a car rapidly integrated into a variable market – they needed some innovations under the elegant exterior appearance. This ambition led them to adopt a technique that the mother company BMW was a pioneer simultaneously: building carbon fibers. In fact, the year 2011 was the year in which the BMW introduced its leading electric car, the i3, a revolutionary model that displays the wide -augmented plastic with carbon fibers (CFRP) to reduce weight, enhance hardness, and improve efficiency. When seeing a potential synergy, Mini was borrowed from the BMW engineering book, which combines a carbon fiber -like frame in the Rocketman concept.
3+1 sitting
Inside, Rocketman unlike the iconic Mini creativity in the gardene. The cabin was characterized by an innovative arrangement of 3+1, which intelligently increases the space of the passengers with a sufficient compressed degree for the ability of the urban maneuver. The interior itself was playful but very functional, as it provides sliding and folding seats and a minimum designer about the intuitive communication. Even the doors used genius engineering, using double hinges to swing out and up, and reduce entry and exit in the narrow city environments.
Mini clearly realized that the small charismatic city cars are still attracting the appeal – as other small cars have proven that. But Minnie also realized something crucial: organizational pressures quickly changed from the scene of cars. So although the car was built around a three -cylinder engine, the package looks more installed for an electric car.
It was a wonderful electric radian
Electrification became an increasing fact, and urban centers were increasingly studying the standard standards of more strict emissions. Rocketman, with lightweight carbon fiber brown, looked specially designed for the electrical driving set. The electric missile man could have provided exactly what urban drivers requested: zero emissions, the minimum operating costs, and the driving experience that explodes of the nature and light movement.
However, although this convincing mix of nostalgia, innovation and urban practical application, Mini Roman has never reached production. However, the Rumormill game comes out that the Rocketman Mini may play an important role in the J01 Mini Coper Electric, a car based on the EV platform on request. Unfortunately, not with carbon fiber structure.
Today, over a decade after a unveiled, Rocketman continues to influence its immortal design and we hope that one day at the BMW Museum in Munich will be reappeared.