Munich. Individualisation typical of MINI reaches a
new level. The British premium automobile manufacturer uses MINI Yours
Customised to offer its customers the opportunity of providing
selected upgrade products with a design they have selected themselves.
They can then transform their own vehicle into a personally styled
customised special. The innovative package will become available in
the course of 2018 for lots of MINI models in Europe and other large
markets. The MINI Yours Customised product range will include the
indicator inlays known as side scuttles, trims for the passenger side
in the interior, LED door sills and LED door projectors.
Customers can select, design and order the upgrade parts available in
the product range of MINI Yours Customised at the new Online Shop
specially developed for the new package. The individualised products
will then be manufactured using innovative production procedures such
as 3D printing and laser lettering. The advanced production process
permits precise implementation of customer’s wishes. The individually
designed products will be delivered within the space of just a few
weeks. The parts have been designed so that they can be integrated in
the vehicle by the customer or by the participating MINI service
partner. The customer can do this more than once. This ensures that if
the vehicle is sold later the individualised components can be exchanged.
MINI as a pioneer for individualisation, digitalisation and 3D printing
The product range offered by MINI Yours Customised will once again
make the British premium brand a pioneer and trendsetter in the area
of customer orientation, expansion of digital services and the
establishment of innovative production processes. Individualisation
has always been highly valued in the worldwide MINI community. The
exceptionally large diversity of special equipment and original MINI
accessories already provides customers today with comprehensive
opportunities to define unmistakable accents when designing their
MINI. Designing a vehicle is now enhanced to include a creative
interaction between the manufacturer and the customer. In this
process, MINI offers the customer an opportunity to select between
different options and integrates them actively in the design process
while retaining the typical MINI language of design. MINI fans are
able to make a selection between different colours, patterns, surface
finishes and icons when designing MINI Yours Customised products. They
can also integrate their own texts and their signature into the
design. This unparalleled freedom of design allows customers to
transform their MINI into a unique special defined by their personal
style and their own creativity. Customers can also modify their design
at any time to match a change in their aspirations and adopt fresh ideas.
MINI is committed to digitalisation and innovative production
procedures for realising individual customer wishes. Alongside the
global web shop, a completely new distribution chain has been
installed for direct sales to the customer. Equally, the 3D printing
procedure has been specially tailored to the production of individual
products in large numbers for the MINI Yours Customised package.
Configuration is carried out in an Online Shop dedicated to the new
product range. The integrated user-friendly and flexible Customiser is
the innovative centrepiece of the web shop. It has completely new
design, structure and programming. The designs selected and saved by
the customer will be transferred in digital form to the appropriate
production facility after the order process has been completed and the
data will be used there directly in the corresponding production
system for the manufacture of the unique products. For example, the
digitally controlled 3D printer will receive instructions on the basis
of the data created in the course of configuration, in order to
produce scuttles and trims in precisely the form designed by the
customer. All MINI Yours Customised products will be produced at
production facilities in Germany.
The 3D printers used in this process are all highly professional
production facilities which were precisely configured for this purpose
by the BMW Group through strategic partnerships with the companies
Hewlett-Packard Inc., Carbon Inc. and EOS GmbH. This is the first time
that they have been in a position to supply the particularly
high-grade plastic qualities selected for the MINI Yours Customised
programme. The computer-based laser lettering for production of the
door sill with customer-specific styling has also been designed
specifically to match the stringent product-quality guidelines of
MINI. As a result, all MINI Yours Customised products are in
conformity with the same high standards of form, functionality and
safety as the components supplied from the factory in the original
MINI range of accessories.
Online configuration: templates and design worlds as a
platform for the boundless creativity of MINI customers.
Customer orientation and ease of use were the foremost considerations
when the Online Shop was designed for MINI Yours Customised products.
When the personal designs are produced, the user is guided through the
individual operating stages as they create their personal design and
they are able to give free rein to their creativity within this
framework. For example, the side scuttles and the trims can be
designed with colours, surface finishes and patterns in any sequence.
Finishes and patterns are variable in scale and can be scaled to meet
your requirements. The user is also provided with a list of design
worlds from which thematically tailored colours and colours, and
specific icons can be selected. The size can be varied and the
features can be freely configured within the design field. The design
worlds comprise icons from contexts such as travel, active leisure
activities, and the rich and varied history of the MINI. In addition,
users are provided with a text field which they can fill in, scale and
position. There is space for creative expression here in order to
immortalise information like the name of the driver, passenger or
vehicle, as well as a personal message in the design of the
MINI Yours Customised product. Right up to the point when the
configurations have been completed, users can move effortlessly
between the individual selection steps in order to perfectly match up
colours, patterns, icons and lettering.
A range of different colours, patterns and icons from the individual
design worlds is also available for designing the illuminated door
sills and the LED door projectors. These design features can be
supplemented by text that can be freely formulated in a dedicated
field. This provides an unlimited number of different versions that
can be created from combinations of colours, patterns, icons and
lettering to create a personal signature expressing the attitude,
individual interests and lifestyle of the MINI driver.
If customers want to further enhance their fun with creative design,
they can share their own designs with other users by screen shot and
link for design in social media. This is how additional inspiration
is created within the MINI community. If issues come up during the
configuration process, users can phone or e-mail the experts at the
call centre established specifically for the MINI Yours Customised
programme at any time.
MINI side scuttles customised: Maximum diversity of colours,
finishes, patterns, icons and lettering.
The rims for the side indicator inlays known as side scuttles are
manufactured in a 3D procedure and then painted in the colour shade
desired by the customer – Aspen White matt, Chili Red matt, Jet Black
matt, Melting Silver matt or White Silver matt. A choice of surface
finishes and patterns is also available for individual configuration.
Each of these options is scalable. Icons from four design worlds and a
field for freely formulated texts complete the options for individual
design. It is also possible to provide the side scuttle with different
designs for the left and right side of the vehicle – for example the
name of the driver and passenger.
The side scuttles from the MINI Yours Customised programme are each
supplied as a twosome in combination with white direction indicators.
These are available for the MINI 3-door and the MINI 5-door cars and
the MINI convertible in the current model range. The clip mechanism
used to mount standard components can be used for assembly on the side
panels of the individual vehicle. This allows the side scuttles to be
swapped in a few simple steps so they can be changed to suit the
wishes of users.
MINI trim customised: Lots of space for creativity in the interior.
The trim from the MINI Yours Customised programme is also produced in
a professional 3D printing procedure. It is the perfect identification
feature for creativity in the interior of the MINI 3-door, MINI 5-door
or MINI convertible automobiles in the current model generation. The
trim can be precisely integrated in the dashboard on the passenger
side where it replaces the factory-mounted trim. If necessary, the
trim can be exchanged at any time with another individually designed
version. A prerequisite for this is the upgrading of the vehicle with
an appropriate base.
A choice of colours between Aspen White matt, Chili Red matt,
Starlight Blue matt, Moonwalk Grey matt and Jet Black matt is
available for design of the trim. A large selection of surface
finishes, graphic patterns and icons from different theme worlds
create additional opportunities for individual styling. There is also
space for completion of a text field by the customer which akin to the
icons can be freely configured in any size on the surface of the trim.
MINI LED door trims Customised: Welcome to the personally
designed MINI.
The illuminated door trims from the MINI Yours Customised programme
serve as an eye-catcher for the MINI driver and passengers when the
doors are opened. The design options give customers a choice between
the versions brushed and black aluminium and between several scalable
basic patterns. Icons from different design worlds can also be added
to the mix. The MINI driver can also literally leave their own
creative signature behind on this MINI Yours Customised product. The
text field can be completed as the user wishes with name or messages
using uppercase letters and in the form of the user’s own signature.
The design created by the customer is inscribed using high-quality
laser technology. Individually configurable door sills are supplied to
match the individual model with two – for the MINI 3-door automobiles
and the MINI convertible – or four – for the MINI 5-door automobile
and the new MINI Clubman. They can be precisely fixed to the
individual entry area with the adhesive pads supplied. The MINI LED
door trims customised for the driver and passenger doors have LED
illumination without any wiring. Their illuminated field is activated
by a magnetic switch when the door is opened. This is part of the
scope of supply as are button batteries for power supply including two
reserve batteries and the necessary assembly and dismantling tools.
The door trims for the rear are not illuminated. During the
configuration process, the customer has the option of designing each
of the two or four door trims independently.
MINI LED Door Projector Customised: strong signal for individuality.
The door projectors from MINI Yours Customised provide another
impressive and inimitable feature when entering and alighting from the
car. They create illumination that can be individually designed and is
projected onto the floor in the individual entry areas by an LED light
source when the driver and passenger doors are opened. The diameter of
the projection is between 40 and 50 centimetres. Several patterns are
available for the design of the projection in the colours Chili Red,
Starlight Blue and Black combined with White. The user can create
additional individualisation by adding icons from several design
worlds, as well as text and signature in separate application steps.
There is also an option of configuring a different design for the
driver and passenger side.
The LED door projectors from the MINI Yours Customised Programme can
be installed in vehicles of the current MINI generation and in
predecessor models. The prerequisite is that they already have door
projectors or door entry lights. If the vehicles are fitted with door
projectors, the existing slides can simply be swapped with the MINI
Yours Customised products designed by the customer. The scope of
supply for all other vehicles includes slides and projectors to
replace the door entry lights installed at the factory. In both cases,
assembly can be carried out in a few simple steps.