Mini Vision concept previews future cars

Mini has just given fans of the British marque a glimpse at the future design elements that we're going to get with upcoming cars -- and those design elements and ideas can be seen in the Mini Vision concept.

Perhaps the first thing that jumps out visually about this concept car is the fact that the bumper and the auxiliary lights have been integrated into the grille, giving the car's nose a slimmer appearance. All the classic Mini design cues are still there, though the car seems to have gotten a bit taller.

The overall design is clearly meant to be an evolution of the styling direction of the current Mini lineup, including a number of elements that we have already seen firsthand in the Mini Countryman. But one thing we didn't notice right away were the oval LED lights surrounding the main headlamps. The oval rings recall the chrome rings of the original Austin Minis while serving as daytime running lights.

Mini
The interior features a composite material called "organo metal."

The Mini Vision concept is designed to preview not only the upcoming exterior design elements of Mini's model lineup, but the company's approach to crafting the interior, as well. One of the major features that the Mini Vision concept previews is a much lighter greenhouse with plenty of glass all around. A new material dubbed “organo metal” -- a composite created out of several different fibers that has a texture similar to that of fabrics -- is also used in the car.

Mini
We're hoping the Mini Disco floor makes it into production models at some point.

And in terms of technology, the car's Driving Experience Control switch will allow passengers to instantly change the appearance and interior lighting colors depending on their preference. Perhaps the coolest(?) feature of the Driving Experience Control switch will be the Mini disco floor, which will light up and respond to the car's movements in traffic. The Driving Experience Control switch can also change the appearance of the Mini circular central display from the classic analog-style appearance to a 3-D look.

For now, the Mini Vision concept exists in physical model and computerized 3-D form, but we won't be surprised to see a number of the design elements previewed in this concept in Mini's upcoming production cars.

By Jay Ramey