While a production version is officially still not in the cards, the striking Mini Rocketman Concept that debuted at the 2011 Geneva Auto Show will make a new-look comeback tour at this summer’s 2012 London Olympics. While the basic package of the diminutive Rocketman Concept hasn’t changed, this second coming does boast an all-new color scheme that swaps its original frozen grey tones for more patriotic red, white and blue motif that celebrates the national colors as well as what Mini contends are the country’s “classical and unmistakably British design features, inside and out.”
The recasting process starts with the exterior of the Rocketman Concept, which is now finished in a dark, non-metallic blue interspersed with various minor carbon-fiber accent bits. The bright metallic-red grille mesh consists of an array of interlocking Mini logos and that same crimson flourish appears on the car’s 18-inch polished white alloy wheels. Matte Porcelain White is found on the mirror caps, trunk release and surround trims for the grille and headlights while the translucent roof element combines all three colors in a striking reprise of the bold Union Jack design seen on the original Rocketman Concept.
Inside, this Mini Rocketman Concept 2.0 displays the same tri-color with carbon fiber design, although here, too, the character is imbued with a more sporting personality. The seats are covered in blue nutbuck leather and textile fiber but feature side bolsters trimmed in a rubberized material reminiscent of something that might be found in a high-end athletic shoe. Finished in red, white and blue, the dash has a 3D look highlighted by an insert that contains the names of the host city of every Summer Olympic Games in the modern era with the 2012 London gathering receiving the most prominent billing. The redone Rocketman Concept also pays visual homage to events that will take place with some trick additional detailing. Its center storage compartment has been rendered to look like a mini basketball court, complete with teams of Lilliputian-scaled players while a rucksack that hangs from the back of the passenger’s side front bucket also is made from the same rubberized sport-spec material that trims the seat bolsters. Even the keyfob has a new look in the form of a stylized rocket with red, white and blue trim that reinforces the color scheme also used in the car’s custom seatbelts.
