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What makes the Mini Type 10 an engineering and design icon? The Spectre Design team shares the chapters of this customization.

Mini Type 10 is the new, conscious, and custom high-end car design

What defines "high-end" in a car? According to a list by Forbes, experts make this definition considering technology, lighting, and the choice of materials, especially in the interior.

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In our culture, for a long time, cars were linked only to the practicality of mobility, or status, when we talk about big brands. Today, they're like a personality trait. Consumers are looking for unique, individual characteristics that convey their own values.

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And in this US$120 billion+ market, there is room for committed, detail-oriented, conscious creators determined to give an iconic second life to historical models. That's the core of Spectre Design, a team of experts across Canada that has transformed the meaning of uniqueness when it comes to automotive design.

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Led by CEO David Hogg, Creative Director Marco Lii, Technical Director Philip Ogilvie, and Marketing Director Niko Myyrä, Spectre Design works with extremely skilled local artisans in its leather interiors.

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This connection with a natural, durable, and sustainable material guarantees the greatest objective of this team: that the car is a historical record and adapts to the client's personality.

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The result of this is the Spectre Type 10, a sports car dressed up as a classic Mini, which represents a renewal of everything this model can be in terms of performance and design. In the hands of the Spectre team, this motorsport heritage was customized from a new concept, and Creative Director Marco Lii explains every detail to us in this exclusive chat.

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First of all, we know that the inspiration for Type 10 is the traditional Japanese mudroom, the entrance of a house. But what is the idea behind this choice?

Even as a foreigner, you'll instinctively know what to do when you approach a genkan. Space can inform action. I wanted that neat and tidy, calm and serene feeling when you enter the car. The light coming through the Sky Panel and the simple lines of the interior feature pieces help accentuate that feeling.

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Many enthusiasts say that the future of cars is customization, and we believe Type 10 is one of the proofs of that. Why rescue a model from the '60s, popular in pop culture, and turn it into a remarkable union of engineering and design?

Customization is the future of car building, and bespoke and hand-crafted objects are the new luxury. We chose the Mini because we believe that it has never been elevated very far beyond its underdog status, despite being such an influential icon. It’s also a platform friendly to customization.

With a flush dash in the cabin and a minimal tunnel on the floor, we saw so much potential for redesigning the interior space. We are also familiar with how to make the small and lightweight chassis a performance monster. The Mini is the perfect canvas for what we wanted to do.

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Your team is definitely careful with details and choice of materials, betting on timeless options like leather. Is this choice also linked to your concern with the durability and heritage of the car?

It goes back to conjuring a feeling, with scent playing a key role. The smell of leather gets the point across quicker than what you or I could say about comfort and luxury. Every piece in the interior says something on its own, and they tell a story when viewed together as a collection.

The experience of participating in the entire process of creating and making your own car is offered for US$180k, in an extremely limited edition.

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Spectre Design writes an innovative chapter for Mini and takes us in a new direction toward the pinnacle of automotive design made by people and for people.

Keep on the creative path. [metcha originals]