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MINI Reveals Fun Concept Car Design Of A Traveling Living Room
By Mikelle Leow, 19 Nov 2020

Image via MINI
Adopting a remote lifestyle seems more realistic than ever, and this week, MINI proved yet another way to do it. On Tuesday, the BMW-owned automotive marque unveiled an experimental ‘Vision Urbanaut’ car that imagines the living room to be on the go.
The concept, modeled like a small camper van, bears a metallic green exterior, light-up wheels, and gradient windows.
The Urbanaut extends upon MINI’s core of the “Clever Use of Space” with a dashboard that can be lowered into a daybed and front seats that swivel around, so the driver can relax or interact with other passengers when not steering the wheel.

Image via MINI

Image via MINI
The car’s windscreen can be lifted to create a “street balcony,” and an archway at the trunk, called the ‘Loop’, can be converted into a ‘Cozy Corner’.
The Urbanaut doesn’t just come with one interior, but three different modes—coined as ‘Moments’—for various social settings. These comprise ‘Chill’, ‘Vibe’, and ‘Wanderlust’ modes. To activate any of these ‘Moments’, a MINI Token is to be slotted into the dashboard.

Image via MINI

Image via MINI
First up is ‘Chill’, which transforms the car into a chilling pod and triggers it to drive autonomously. With this mode, the rear seat extends into a sofa area, and a screen on the middle table transfigures into a lamp, allowing the driver to kick back or work on the go.
The Loop archway is illuminated with leafy LED motifs to portray a forest canopy.

Image via MINI
With company around, the driver can opt for a ‘Vibe’ configuration, which steers the focus to fellow passengers. The windscreen opens up to create a balcony area, and the interior takes on a club-like environment with graphics on the front, wheels, rear, and inside that beat in tandem with the music. The center screen also converts into a media control stand.
Interestingly, the only mode that enables driving by a human is the ‘Wanderlust’ Moment. With this setting, the central screen also beams travel details and imagery from 1950s and 1960s tourism posters.

Image via MINI
Evidently, the Urbanaut isn’t your typical MINI. The company describes in a press statement that it’s “more of a living room than a vehicle.”
Should MINI decide to launch the Vision Urbanaut for real, it stands to be the tallest MINI yet.

Image via MINI

Image via MINI
[via Departures, images via MINI]
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