The simplified styling of the Mini Concept Aceman is what fans of the British brand can look forward to as it previews what’s to come as part of its electrified future.
In what the BMW Group’s senior vice-president in charge of the Mini brand, Stefanie Wurst, described in a statement as “bridging the space” between the Cooper and Countryman models, the Concept Aceman provides a glimpse at what a dedicated crossover might look like, as well as what direction the next generation of the brand’s design language is going to take.
Of course, every story about a concept vehicle needs to include the qualifier that it’s just that – a concept – which means the resulting production models will look at least a little less interesting in the name of safety regulations and mass production limitations; however, it’s safe to assume stuff like the grille-less fascia from the Aceman might well make it to market given electric vehicles (EVs) don’t have the same cooling needs as their gas-powered counterparts. (We’ve already seen the grille all but sealed off on the current Mini Cooper Electric.)
Oh, and for those of you wondering: no, it’s not a case of the ‘P’ on my keyboard seizing up. This is, indeed, the Concept Aceman, not a return of the short-lived Paceman.
There’s no sense getting into the dimensions of the concept, since the numbers don’t mean much, but worthy of note is the incredible roof rack that I, for one, hope makes it to production. Designers being the clever bunch they are, this raised roof rack – no doubt a necessary treatment to sell this as a crossover – has been built to emulate the Union Jack, a Mini design staple for years.
The interior is decked out with all kinds of stuff that will never make it to showroom floors, but it looks cool nonetheless while maintaining at least a passing similarity to the current crop of Minis – namely through the use of the centralized round display. Oh, and this time around designers have ditched all the chrome and leather that’s typical of automotive aesthetics. Again, it’s important not to get our hopes up, but it’s just one more aspect of this concept I’m crossing my fingers for.
