Mini’s cutting edge doors

With the new equipment option “Scissor Doors”, the British brand is now making it easier for customers to squeeze their MINI into even the tightest of parking spaces.

Initially only available for MINI 3 door, MINI Paceman and the new MINI Convertible, this option will also be available for MINI 5 door, the 6 door MINI Clubman and MINI Countryman as of model year 2017.

The “Scissor Doors” are based on a particularly refined body concept comprising two wing doors that both open vertically. Thereby providing the perfect solution to increasing parking space problems – especially in multi-storey car parks.

By applying the “clever use of space” development principle and using electrohydraulically acti- vated wing doors, it was possible to reduce the required parking space width – including the space required for entry and exit on the driver and front passenger side – by almost 30 percent from 2 681 to just 1 930mm. With a vehicle width of 1 727mm, the MINI 3 door fits into virtually any parking space, however tight, and allows convenient entry and exit for drivers and passengers.

From an engineering point of view, the wing door concept has been fitted with numerous comfort features as standard and also has selective technical preparations for the installation of new technologies in the future. According to Dalf Rietmann, Head of Special Equipment Management with MINI, “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’.” Powerful propellants ensure that the doors are reliably blasted off within milliseconds in the event of an emergency.