British car brand Mini has revealed a new “intelligent personal assistant” for one of its vehicles, none other than Spike the English Bulldog.
That’s right, the animated canine companion will be taking to the cockpit of the company’s first all-electric MINI Crossover SAV, the Mini Concept Aceman, to act as the driver’s personal assistant.
The cute bulldog has been a symbol of the Mini brand as far back as 2001, appearing in a handful of past advertisements. Although Mini looks to be refreshing people’s minds about the spokesdog, his first major appearance since the announcement will be at the Shanghai auto show, which runs from April 18th-27th, 2023.
Mini plans on integrating Spike into future production models as well, such as the 2023 Mini Countryman, the 2024 Mini Cooper and the 2025 Aceman Crossover SUV, according to Carscoops.
Delightfully appealing? Absolutely. Nostalgic? It’s debatable. But what exactly does Spike do for the user?
Spike will apparently be providing “various forms of support” to users of Aceman from the car’s OLED dashboard display. More details are expected to follow at the Shanghai event and throughout the year.
“We are now taking Spike into the future as a digital character,” said Oliver Heilmer, the design head for the brand. “He is not just a design experiment – he is becoming a characterful companion for the user experience.”
For a car company that already pushes a uniquely fun and quirky experience, Spike is looking like the perfect addition to assist drivers all while looking adorable while doing it.
