Mini Has Taken Customization to the Next Level

Newer Minis have been known for the vast array of customizations. If you haven’t tried creating your own Mini online, it can be tons of fun. With sales falling, the storied British brand is forging ahead with a new level of customization, called Mini Yours Customized.

Now, customers can order bespoke inlays for the side scuttles and interior trims, plus door projectors and illuminated door sills. If you’re vain, you could do something with your name. Or add some skulls, flames, more checkerboard, or whatever else to your Mini. The possibilities are endless.

How can Mini offer such a program? After all, those kinds of things are usually what you get with a Rolls-Royce or the like. Thanks to advances in 3D printing and laser lettering, it’s no longer cost prohibitive to add those kinds of customizations. Sure, you can’t get your initials embroidered into the seats, so it’s not like Mini’s offering an ultra-luxury experience.

These customized parts aren’t added in the assembly line. Instead, they’re shipped to the dealer, where either the service department can install them, or the customer can do it themselves. It only takes a few weeks for the customized components to arrive.

Because the Mini arrives with regular components throughout, you just keep what you remove to install the customized parts. Then, when you go to sell the car, reinstall the OE components, instead of trying to convince someone else shamrock door sills are a good idea.