Today, family cars are made for bigger families which reflects current family situations. Tomorrow, families will be smaller but greater in numbers something that requires a new type of vehicles. Together with the urbanization and the need for independence from fossile fuel was the starting point for this project. Inspired by compact living enivironments, this interior project shows a vehicle that can be changed for the needs of a future family when it comes to family, friends and everything in between.
This projects main inspiration source is compact living environments. just as a compact appartment have a limited ammount of space but has to work just as good as a normal appartment, this extremely small vehicle has to function just as good as any other car. looking at solutions picked from these environments, the interior of this vehicle became even smaller than any other car available today.
"form follows function - that has been missunderstood. Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union". This quote from Frank Lloyd Wright sums up the way I have worked in this project. Functionality is the essence, but just because its functional doesnt mean it is ok to be ugly. This project is more of industrial design rather than Automotive design, where the inside of the vehicle has been defined by peoples needs and wishes instead of exterior dimensions and requirements. You need a box to be able to think outside of it.
The MINI Packman is a vehicle that answers all the questions asked by the families of tomorrow. Its designed around the users and their needs when it comes to family, friends and the ability to haul stuff. For family needs, the seats can be converted to fit children from 1 years old all the way up to grownups. With the luggage compartment in front of the passengers, everything is always in easy reach for the passengers.
When bringing along friends for a ride, the seats can be arranged so that the passengers can gather around the "fire place" - a center entertainment icon that brings people together. There is no "back-seat" in this car - all the seats are excactly the same and the passengers can adjust the seats position when it comes to height, angle, direction and everything in between.
When loading the car up with stuff, the seats can independently or all together move to the front storage compartment that gives a huge ammount of space in the cabin. With seats attached to the center rail, they easily move away to the corners of the car, just like you move the furnitures at home to create more space.
With its hub-engine layout and the batteries stored undernieth the car, the interior space is reaching from the front to the rear emblems, giving a huge ammount of space in a car not longer than 3380 mm. Designed from the inside out, this vehicle truly shows that cars can be shrunk significally compared to today, still with comfort and space like any other normal car.
