The driver’s phone will automatically connect to the car and become the “media control center”, with the only physical controls being those used for the windows and the start-stop system.
Conventional materials such as leather and chrome are absent from the cabin, with the seats finished in a fully recyclable knitted fabric, while the floor mats themselves are made from recycled rubber.
The dashboard top, door panels and shelf are all finished in recycled cork, which Mini says “could replace foam plastics in the future,” due to its firmness and soft feel. A positive side effect, the firm notes, is that cork and knit are open-pore materials that “improve interior acoustics.”
Elsewhere, the airbag is visible through the mesh center of the minimalist steering wheel, which is wrapped in handlebar tape rather than synthetic leather, while the mesh is also used for the door panels so that the innards are almost entirely exhibited.
Climbing rope is used in place of interior door handles, colored orange to match seat belts. Airbags in the roof are also on display, as is the car’s wiring harness, drawing attention, according to Mini, “to functions that are normally hidden during manufacture.”
There is no production intention for the Strip, but Mini is keen to see it demonstrate the feasibility of building and designing sustainable cars.
Earlier this year, Mini built a physical version of the Urbanaut concept, having previously shown it only as a digital render. This car also emphasizes sustainability, with a flexible, minimalist cabin and an emphasis on efficient use of space.
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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-08-12 16:31:23
