Dreaming small
Esquire Singapore|December 2020
Mini’s head of design explains why size is the only distinguishing feature of its cars.
Daryl Lee
Dreaming small

“Looking at the market there’s no small car anymore, unlike back in the 1960s,” comments Oliver Heilmer of Mini, the British (but German-owned by the BMW Group) carmaker. He is, of course, referring to how much cars have grown since the original Mini (then British-made and owned) hit showroom floors in 1960. Just to give you a sense of how much Minis have grown, the current smallest model it makes, the 3-Door Hatch measures 3.8m long against the original—a positively Lilliputian that’s 3m long.

Heilmer is the carmaker’s head of design, a role he’s held since late 2017, having come over from a short stint at the BMW Group’s industrial design (among other things) subsidiary Designworks, and prior to that, he was head of interior design for the group’s eponymous brand. Suffice it to say, he knows quite a bit about designing cars both inside and out, a career he always knew he wanted even as a boy.

As to his earlier statement, Heilmer was responding to a question about whether the Countryman, the brand’s largest car and Mini’s offering in the compact SUV segment, still qualifies as a Mini, given how its physical dimensions make it more maxi than mini. “I’m convinced the Countryman is a Mini,” he says. “An SAV [BMW’s term for SUV] attracts a lot of customers and they’re very practical. Against other brands, the Countryman is the smallest in its segment, and that compactness is something important for us.”

This story is from the December 2020 edition of Esquire Singapore.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the December 2020 edition of Esquire Singapore.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM ESQUIRE SINGAPOREView All
THE MILD HANGOVER
Esquire Singapore

THE MILD HANGOVER

Hangovers get a bad rap. We know. If you’ve gotten this far in the magazine, you’ve surely divined that we’re mildly hungover most of the time.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2022
AN ELECTRIC FUTURE
Esquire Singapore

AN ELECTRIC FUTURE

Polestar, the minimalist electric Swedish car brand, turns the voltage up on its competition.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2022
LET'S GET REAL (ESTATE): LUXURIOUS LONDON
Esquire Singapore

LET'S GET REAL (ESTATE): LUXURIOUS LONDON

Royalty, shopping, the best tea and scones the world has to offer, and a lifestyle worthy of what you're working for. Here's why London is ripe for your next investment

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2022
NEXT UP....ZARAN VACHHA
Esquire Singapore

NEXT UP....ZARAN VACHHA

As Co-founder of the events and talent agency Collective Minds and Managing Director of the Mandala Masters, Zaran Vachha is definitely not new to the culture scene, but he's certainly shaping what comes next.

time-read
6 mins  |
November 2022
WHAT I'VE LEARNED...
Esquire Singapore

WHAT I'VE LEARNED...

I DON’T WEAR SOCKS except in January.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2022
The Body Is a Language
Esquire Singapore

The Body Is a Language

A bad handshake is such a turnoff; we feel irked when someone rolls their eyes at us; we can't stop pacing when we're nervous-ever wondered how certain body language has the power to change how we feel instantly? We explore why.

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2022
EYE OF THE TIGER
Esquire Singapore

EYE OF THE TIGER

Hailing from Singapore, Japan and Brazil respectively, Evolve Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) athletes Darren Goh, Hiroki Akimoto and Alex Silva are proof that the ring demands as much from mind as it does from matter.

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 2022
THE ADONIS COMPLEX
Esquire Singapore

THE ADONIS COMPLEX

With the rise of superhero culture making a return and bringing with it the celebration of the classically ‘masculine’ body type, can men really overcome the pressure to conform when culture keeps getting in the way?

time-read
8 mins  |
November 2022
FUNNY BUT TRUE
Esquire Singapore

FUNNY BUT TRUE

A comedian, an iconic Singaporean, and now a man much evolved. After overcoming two years of pandemic limbo, unlocking career milestones one after another and undergoing a life-defining physical transformation, Rishi Budhrani is ready to emerge into the world renewed-and anew.

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 2022
LIKE NO OTHER
Esquire Singapore

LIKE NO OTHER

With its horological triumphs, Hermès has truly come into its own as a watchmaking maison. In this exclusive interview with Esquire Singapore, CEO of Hermès Horloger, Laurent Dordet sheds some light on his timepieces' rising stardom and the importance of being different.

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2022