Mini's head of exterior design Marcus Syring
Changes in store for the Paceman concept and how legislation and materials affect design.
James Scoltock in Q&A.
- Published in Q&A.
Marcus Syring at Mini
How much will the Paceman design need to change before it goes into production?
“The design and character will remain the same but we have to look more at the detail, how you meet the legislative requirements. So we have to change a couple of millimetres but the main points, which express the character of the car, will stay the same.
The vehicle borrows heavily from the Countryman SUV. Where are the major differences between the vehicles?
“The bonnet is 100% carryover as are the headlights. But from the front bumper it’s new and, while the Countryman has a lot of lines oriented in vertical direction, to emphasise its off-road DNA, with the Paceman we have tried to bring in more horizontal lines. It shows it’s more oriented to tarmac. This is the coupé approach, and should give the vehicle a completely different character.
Our goal was not to simply create a three-door sibling of the Countryman. It’s more part of the Mini family. You can see at first glance it’s a Mini, but a car with its own character. It bridges the gap between the regular hatch and the Countryman.
How has interior packaging changed compared to the Countryman?
“Headroom is slightly different. The windshield is derived from the Countryman, but we have chopped 20mm off the height, and we also massaged the highest part of the roof in front of the driver, which is also typical for coupé body shapes.
Is the use of copper colouring on the exterior and interior a serious production idea?
“I think we’ll have to work closely with the engineers in the feasibility phase because they’re not going to love the idea.
How much of your design work for a vehicle like this which will go into production is tempered against what the engineers can achieve in the workshop?
“With a show car, the Americans say push the envelope, try something new, and we did with the rear lights for example. With the rear lights you can see where the shut line is. This is challenging for the engineers as is the sealing curvature. But it’s not decided whether we will or even can have the shut line in exactly the same position in the production model. This shows an idea, and maybe we’ll do something in between for the production model.
How restrictive is safety legislation in the design work you do?
“It’s definitely restrictive. Lots of points are prescribed and you have to meet them exactly. The bonnet is getting higher and the front overhang is getting longer and this is going against what we would like to achieve to express the vehicle’s character. We use all kinds of tricks to make the vehicle look as short as possible and, if you compare it to our competitors, we always have the shortest front overhangs and thanks is due to the engineers for achieving that.
How are material changes affecting what you do?
“It’s making a big difference depending on if you use plastic, sheet metal or aluminium. Aluminium behaves differently than sheet metal, whereas plastic gives you much more freedom, you can achieve different angles and forms. You have to know what material the car is made from in order to design it because form follows function and materials.
The Mini is a huge success both in Europe and the US. Is there a balance to be struck between the desires of the different markets?
“It’s more or less the same kind of customer. They are mostly young at heart, modern and self-confident, but you’ll find people like that all over the world, and therefore Mini works in over 80 countries.
