Exclusive design features on the exterior and interior underscore the British origins, hallmark driving fun, premium character and extrovert appeal that make the new MINI Seven a more exceptional phenomenon in urban traffic than ever before.
The 2017 MINI Seven special edition will be available in both Cooper and Cooper S variants of the MINI hard-top three-door and five-door models in late summer.
The name MINI Seven recalls the premiere of the revolutionary British small car more than five and a half decades ago. In August 1959, the virtually identical models Austin Seven and Morris Mini Minor were presented to the public for the first time. The first specimen of the legendary four-seater, created by designer Alec Issigonis and known today as the classic Mini, came off the production line as the Austin Seven.
Featuring front-wheel-drive, an engine mounted transversely at the front, short overhangs and wide tracks, the Mini offered an unusually generous amount of space for passengers and luggage within a minimum surface area, and with a fascinatingly agile driving response to boot.
The current MINI model generation embodies the very latest version of this principle of making the smartest possible use of the space available. Not only does it meet contemporary standards in terms of comfort, safety and functionality, it also offers a whole new level of driving fun and refined premium characteristics in terms of design, material selection and finish quality.
The exterior design features compiled exclusively for the new MINI Seven are geared towards achieving a particularly stylish and striking expression of the MINI design, complete with its characteristic proportions, surface design and lines.
Instantly fascinating appeal is created by means of a body finish in the MINI Yours colour Lapisluxury Blue. This non-metallic finish is the most intensive blue tone ever applied to the body of a MINI. The paint finish conceived for the exclusive equipment programme MINI Yours is based on the colour Ultramarine, which is regarded as the “blue of kings”.
Lapisluxury Blue derives its striking brilliance, intensity and depth from the highly elaborate and technologically sophisticated production processes by which the paint and protective layers are applied to the body surfaces.
Regardless of the selected body colour, the roof and exterior mirror caps of the new MINI Seven are finished in Melting Silver. This contrasting colour, available exclusively for the designer model, underscores the horizontal body structuring typical of MINI, taking in the glass sections of the passenger cell and roof. The exclusive bonnet stripes of the new MINI Seven are designed to harmonise with the colouring of the roof and exterior mirror caps. The bonnet stripes, also in Melting Silver, each feature a surround in the colour Malt Brown on the outside.
The 17-inch light alloy wheels of the new MINI Seven were likewise created especially for the designer model. With the clear structure of their spokes and two-colour finish, the wheels in MINI Seven Spoke two-tone design convey a solid, high-end impression. 18-inch light-alloy wheels are optionally available for the new MINI Seven in MINI Yours Vanity Spoke two-tone. Both variants of the light alloy wheels perfectly match the exclusive exterior features of the MINI Seven with their burnished surfaces and the MINI Yours paint finish Spectra Grey.
Another distinctive accentuation is added by the surrounds of the side indicators on the front wheel arches, known as side scuttles. These bear the logo of the design model which is made up of the wordmark “Seven” and the number seven. The MINI Seven logo is also to be found on the model-specific door sill finishers on the driver and front passenger side.
In the new MINI Seven, the mature character and premium ambience of the interior are highlighted by a harmoniously matched selection of colours and materials for the seats and interior surfaces.
The standard trim includes sports seats in the exclusive fabric/leather upholstery Diamond Malt Brown, which was created exclusively for this design model. The black leather of the seat and backrest surfaces is combined with fabric in the side sections. The latter have an oblique grey and black check pattern with a discreetly integrated pinstripe in Malt Brown and seams in the same colour. Other features of the designer model include the MINI Seven logo on the trim of the central instrument, and interior surfaces in the high-gloss colour Piano Black.
Read our review of the third-gen MINI Cooper S.
Read our review of the third-gen MINI John Cooper Works.