Mini implements scissor doors equipment in order to facilitate parking in tight spaces.
Some car manufacturers offer this type of door mechanism as a pure cosmetic element, to show-off its exotic approach, but not Mini. No, the British car manufacturer realized that scissor doors are actually the best solution when it comes to parking in tight spaces – especially in multi-story car parks.
Initially only available as a €1,959 option for the 3-door Mini, Paceman and the new Convertible, the option will eventually be offered for all models, including the 5-door Mini, the 6-door Clubman and the Country man as of 2017.
According to the BMW-owned company, the “scissor Doors are based on a particularly refined body concept comprising two wing doors that both open vertically”. A truly innovative and unique idea, to say the least, that also required lots of engineering expertise.
By applying the “clever use of space” development principle, Mini reduced the required parking space width by almost 30 percent, from 2,681 to just 1,930 millimeters – thanks to electro-hydraulically activated wing doors.
To top it off, Mini also fitted the doors with numerous comfort features as standard as Dalf Rietmann, Head of Special Equipment Management with MINI explains:
"The doors can be opened and closed as standard via remote control. In conjunction with Comfort Access, which is subject to an additional charge, the MINI can be opened and closed by means of a button on the door handle without having to use the remote control. It is sufficient for the ignition key to be in the user’s trouser pocket, for example. In the future the idea is to enable opening and closing of the car via smartphone using the MINI Excitement App.”
“In order to achieve maximum safety, the wing doors not only feature highly rigid side impact protection elements,” says Malph Rahler, Head of MINI Production Innovations, “but also a pyrotechnical emergency opening system known as ‘Pyrotechnic Emergency Exit’, or PEE for short.”
Clever stuff, Mini; too bad its April Fool’s and this is a joke.