MINI Press Konferencia IAA 2015.

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to MINI!

This wonderful MINI Clubman Estate next to me gives you a good idea which MINI will be the star today. Today we will be focusing on the new MINI Clubman. But that’s not all! I’m sure you already noticed our stand’s new colours.

The reason: The presentation of the new MINI Clubman also marks the next phase in our brand development. What does that mean exactly?

That MINI will focus more on its strengths. Under the motto “Maximise the experience – focus on the essential”, we are:

• Expanding our offering in the premium compact class;
• Focusing on five models with strong characters;
• Introducing the brand to completely new ideas and business areas.
• And, as you can already see here, we are refining the brand’s image.

We will continue to inspire our fans and turn new customers into MINI fans. The new MINI Clubman I am about to present embodies the change process at MINI like no other model.

Ladies and Gentlemen, here it is, the new MINI Clubman!

I am also delighted to welcome the head of our MINI brand, Sebastian Mackensen.

Welcome, Sebastian!

A brand-new car and a new brand identity – there’s a lot going on at MINI currently! Why the big change?

Sebastian Mackensen, Senior Vice President MINI

Thank you. I would also like to wish everyone a warm welcome! MINI sets trends in the industry and has always had a perfect feel for the times. The brand’s unconventional approaches traditionally attracted people with a high level of individuality and creativity. Of course, these are the people we want MINI to appeal to in the future. Because of that, we never stand still – and we always evolve with our customers. And that is exactly why we are taking the next step with MINI right now.

Peter Schwarzenbauer

What does the realignment of the brand entail?

Sebastian Mackensen

The new brand identity looks at our customers’ living environment today and interprets it in typical MINI fashion. It was the same with the brand relaunch in 2001. Back then, it was all about fast consumption. Everyone wanted to get a head start on the new millennium and break with convention. MINI captured this perfectly.

Peter Schwarzenbauer

But times change. Today, it’s more about the purpose of things, about relevance. People are more focused on the essential. That is why we decided on a bright, clear, purist appearance for MINI.

But we don’t just have a new brand identity, we also have a brand-new Clubman.

Sebastian Mackensen

The new Clubman has a huge significance for the brand: It is the first MINI offering in the fast-growing premium compact segment. For this step, we have introduced a whole range of special features:

• A design, that is unique in this class – as you are used to from MINI
• The highest level of driving comfort – GoKart feeling included.
• Unrestricted road capability – for longer distances, in particular.
• A surprising amount of space and therefore maximum versatility.
• And, naturally, a large number of new technical features and functions.
  
  

The new MINI Clubman is much more than just a successor. It has grown up and we have added a new door concept: The new Clubman has four doors – two on each side – and five full-sized seats. But the distinctive silhouette and characteristic rear split-doors remain the same. There is plenty of room in the luggage area, with between 360 and 1250 litres of space. The Clubman’s interior will redefine premium in its segment: with high-quality materials and finishes and a wide range of optional extras. There are practically no limits to individualisation – from fabric to leather, high-gloss to matt, extroverted to classic.

Four different engines with the latest MINI TwinPower Turbo technology will be available for the market launch of the Clubman. A completely new development is the four-cylinder diesel in the MINI Cooper D Clubman – with 150 horsepower and a combined-cycle fuel consumption of only 4.1 litres diesel per 100 kilometres. The top-of-the-range model is the MINI Cooper S Clubman. It delivers signature MINI driving fun with 192 horsepower from four cylinders.

The eight-speed Steptronic transmission is also new. It is the perfect fit for the Clubman’s characteristic MINI chassis. The list of optional features for the Clubman is long. You can see a few of them here. The MINI Clubman leaves nothing to be desired.

Peter Schwarzenbauer

Sebastian, thank you!

The Clubman is immediately recognisable as a typical MINI. At the same time, it interprets the MINI design language in a totally new and different way.

The best person to explain exactly what that means is MINI Design Head Anders Warming! (Short presentation, Anders Warming)

Peter Schwarzenbauer

For me, the Clubman is one of the most beautiful, most emotionally-powerful cars around. As I mentioned at the beginning, MINI takes a multi-faceted approach to the future. The brand is operating from a position of strength. Europe, North America and many Asian markets are performing very well, with strong double-digit growth. In the first eight months of the year, we have delivered almost 212,000 MINIs to customers worldwide – an increase of more than 20 per cent over the previous year. That is the most MINIs ever sold in this period and we are well on our way to a new all-time high in sales this year.

MINI thrives on unconventional new ideas. We are also setting trends in other areas – for example, in the sharing economy. Young people, in particular, love the idea of collaborative usage. For this reason, we will be strengthening ties between MINI and the car-sharing service, DriveNow. MINI will be the first automotive brand worldwide to allow car owners to integrate their vehicle into a car-sharing fleet: The owner then receives payment for the time their car is in use. If you take this idea further, it would also be possible for MINI drivers to make their car available to a defined group of, say, family or friends via an app and without a key. But that may still be a long way off, of course.

To develop these kinds of innovative ideas for customers, MINI will take a more active role in the start-up scene. We will be offering a programme where company founders can refine and implement their business ideas. The first start-up accelerator will be launched later this year in the United States, with further locations planned for China and Europe. As you can see, MINI will continue to set trends and shape the spirit of the times.

I am certainly looking forward to the future with this fantastic brand!

Thank you for listening. I hope you enjoy your time at the Frankfurt Motor Show and have lots of fun with MINI!

BMW Group

BMW Group je vďaka značkám BMW, MINI a Rolls-Royce najväčším výrobcom prémiových automobilov a motocyklov na svete. Okrem toho ponúka aj produkty značkového financovania a služby osobnej mobility. Medzinárodný koncern prevádzkuje 30 výrobných a montážnych podnikov v 14 krajinách a predajnú sieť so zastúpeniami vo viac ako 140 krajinách.

BMW Group zaznamenal v roku 2014 celosvetový predaj v objeme približne 2,118 milióna predaných automobilov a 123 000 motocyklov. V hospodárskom roku 2014 činil zisk pred zdanením 8,71 miliardy eur, celkový obrat dosiahol výšku 80,40 miliardy eur. BMW Group k 31. decembru 2014 zamestnával po celom svete 116 324 spolupracovníkov.

Úspech BMW Group sa vždy zakladal na predvídavom a vizionárskom myslení a zodpovednom konaní. Ekologické programy a sociálna udržateľnosť preto tvorili integrálnu súčasť stratégie spoločnosti v rámci celého hodnotového reťazca. BMW Group sa vždy vyznačoval komplexnou produktovou zodpovednosťou a významným prístupom k ochrane zdrojov.

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BMW Group Slovakia

Milan Stupka

Corporate Communications Manager

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