It’s called the Aceman (not to be confused with the Paceman), and it foreshadows the style of the next Mini, obviously electric.
Here, finally. Announced in teasers in recent days, the Mini concept has been revealed from every angle and is much more than a style exercise that will end up in the brand museum. The Aceman is a concept that after all announces a future model “that will bridge the gap between the MINI hatch 3 and 5 doors and the MINI Countryman”. Obviously, a kind of clubman of the future, 100% electric. Unfortunately, Mini doesn’t give us the grind on the technical side, which remains a secret. Too bad, and too bad, it would be enough to describe this new stylistic language as interesting in more ways than one.
Less rounded, more firm
Say hello to the new MINI Concept Aceman, our first all-electric crossover concept, here to spread ❤️ for people and our planet. Stay tuned to know more about the iconic design features. #Minii am #big lovei am #MINICconceptAcemani am #MINICconceptCar pic.twitter.com/Vu2VsWHuaY
— MINI USA (@MINIUSA) July 26, 2022
The Aceman adopts some of the features of the current Mini: the prominent grille, the “Union Jack” flag signature, the large mirrors that stand out, the round face… but not like before! That’s the biggest change. Until now, the Mini was recognizable by its soft curves and its well-rounded optics (a circular shape that can be found almost everywhere, including inside the central touch screen layer), but the new direction taken by the design teams, led by Adrian van Heedonk, is clear: Less rounded, more angular. You have to get used to it, with these segmented wheel arches, these polygonal headlights and this huge octagonal grille, as you noticed, the name of the car happens. Is this a significant marker for future production models? It’s too early to tell. Just like these extra vertical lights at the corners of the front and rear bumpers.
Dimensions of the mini Aceman concept
- Length: 4.05 m
- Width: 1.99 m
- Height: 1.59 m
- 20 inch rim
A Chinese platform?
Future minis will be electric, but also Chinese In 2019, the BMW Group entered into an agreement with its Chinese partner Great Wall Motor, establishing the joint venture Spotlight Automotive Ltd., owned 50/50 by the two parties. A factory will be built in China and will produce 160,000 electric vehicles per year, for an investment of approximately 650 million euros. The platform developed by the two automotive groups was used specifically for the new generation electric mini “hatch” (which will not be released before 2024)., currently under development. And according to our colleagues at Autocar, this Aceman concept will be based on a lengthened version of the said platform, common with the hatch. According to preliminary information from the British press, two battery packs are on the program (40 kWh for the Cooper, 50 kWh for the Cooper S) and two power levels: 184 hp and 225 hp.
