The car has been and will continue to be a dominating part of the culture, whatever the psychological reasoning for the purchase of a car or how the car is viewed by others. The mindless, soulless collection of metal is a point a-to-point-b means to an end but it is certainly not near the level of a toaster in the mind’s eye. The machine has earned our collective fascination to the point of us having, even yearning for, a personal bond with a car.
Possibly this ‘relationship’ is a transference that evolved from the affiliation people had developed with horses. Movies and television shows such as The Love Bug or “Knight Rider” establish the very real human connection many people feel towards their car while car ads capitalize on these concepts by highlighting particular human personality traits found in the design of a car. This design is no accident as car makers specifically focus on providing the consumer with ‘a face that speaks to you.’ For car buyers seeking a friendly, fun, and energetic car, the Mini Cooper is an optimum choice because of its adorable form, its superior design, and its supreme usability.
The Mini Cooper is given a cute persona through the wide spacing of the headlights (eyes) and the broad expanse of the grill (teeth) across the front. A small scoop on the hood provides the car with a little pug nose and parking lights on a barely perceivable front bumper ‘chin’ give the impression of dimples. This wide-eyed, dimpled and toothy grin makes the car seem as if it can’t wait to go out and play with its owner, much like an excited puppy. A low wheelbase gives it an appearance of crouching down in anticipation of the thrown ball while a small wing on the hatchback could easily be substituted in the imagination with a tiny pug tail eagerly attentive.
While the Mini Cooper retains all the personality of a Mini as described above, it also provides consumers a combination of roles not available previously in its extended design. The flowing lines of the MINI Concept give the car a feeling of decadence while the wide wheelbase, firm stance, and sporty appeal provide it with masculine strength. The slanting lines of the car keep the eye moving around the chassis further emphasizing a feeling of motion while they also serve to increase the vehicle’s aerodynamic abilities.
Minis overall can appeal to a wider base of consumers in today’s fuel market as well because they generally provide greater gas mileage than the still popular SUVs found stumbling around in today’s average urban landscape.
The Mini design team overall caters to those consumers who look at not only the form but also the function of a car. Various elements of the car’s design are specifically calculated to contribute to the user’s needs. Because consumers for this product look primarily to the function of the car, the fundamental idea in developing the new Mini was to make loading and entering the car as effortless and expedient as possible. This includes specially designed doors that swivel to the side and front at the same time for maximum space on entering and exiting as well as swiveling chairs to facilitate the same.
MINI Wagon is comfortable and practical and, as in most well-developed automotive designs, it’s a car that challenges the buyer initially, only to subtly impress upon further inspection. The new Mini Wagon Concept provides a feeling of style and passenger room otherwise found only in larger cars through its use of a gently sloping roofline and wide wheelbase. Its clean lines and sleek shape remain friendly and fun-loving, giving users an instant identification with their car while also providing them with all the usability modern American public demands. For instant connection with a fun and energetic yet practical vehicle, the Mini Cooper is the obvious choice in today’s market.