The Mini X Paul Smith Special Edition Just Dropped, and it's Packed with Delicious British Sartorialism 

A little sketched rabbit on the floor mats, stylised by Sir Paul Smith himself, piques my interest. “My wife has always given me a rabbit motif in some form, before every fashion show, as she considers it a sign of good luck,” Smith tells us, “which is why I am happy to add this element of good luck to my car.”

A case in point of British restraint and elegance at its very best. The Mini X Paul Smith edition that dropped this morning at Tokyo Motor Show is the talk of the town and is possibly the hottest ‘collab car’ of the year. British fashion icon, Sir Paul Smith, best known for his sartorial cuts and signature stripes, stamps his badge on a Mini for the fifth time since 1998.

Behind the scenes of the launch event, Sir Paul Smith did speak to Robb Report India, demonstrating the ‘Hello’ projection from the door onto the floor, stretching his hand out below the side mirrors to show the same projection on his palm too. “It’s these little elements of design surprise that I love showing off. I just wanted to design a car that makes you feel happy and optimistic when you get in and drive off. The Mini is so beautiful anyway, so I am merely adding a few colourful touches to the car, because I love colour,” says the designer whose love for collecting cars and bikes is no secret. 

Diving in to explore the Mini X Paul Smith edition, let’s start with the outside - the ‘Hello’ projection is a quirky design touch. Look closely at the lower door sill, you will see, in Smith’s very own handwriting, an inscription, which reads ‘Every day is a new beginning’, which Sir Paul Smith tells me, “just like London in the morning, every day is a new beginning, a source of inspiration, optimising, and happiness.” 

The side mirrors and octagonal front grille, as well as the roof, are done in Nottingham Green, referring to the hometown of Sir Paul Smith, adding a certain personal nostalgia element to the story. The designer’s iconic stripes are visible on the Nottingham Green roof, as well as a small striped patch, featuring near the door behind the driver. 

There are two edition exclusive colours available -- Statement Grey, which draws back to the original Mini Austen Seven colour from 1959, as well as the interestingly named Inspired White, which is an interpretation of the Classic Mini Beige colour. 

The overall finish is resolutely sporty, enhanced by the 18-inch Night Spoke aluminium wheels with a tinted coat, with the Paul Smith subtly placed at the centre. 

Moving to the inside of the car — it is bathed in Smith’s sartorialism - from the knitted textiles on the blue sports seats, to the nifty tone-on-tone striped fabric linings on the dashboard and door panels, everything appears deliciously restrained… very understated British elegance, if you will. Another Mini signature, the fabric band on the steering wheel features Paul Smith’s colourful stitches for a finish. The Mini designers have gone the whole nine yards with this collaboration, by integrating a Paul Smith mode on the user interface of the famous round cockpit display of the Mini. Well played! 

It doesn’t get any more British than this, the coming together of two British icons. This is the fifth time that the fashion designer and the carmaker have joined hands, after the original Mini X Paul Smith version in 1998, the Mini Strip in 2021, and Mini Recharged by Paul Smith in 2022. In 1999, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Mini, we saw the car entirely dressed in Paul Smith’s stripes, a one-off that has been ingrained in popular culture references even today. 

Robb Report Verdict: This is a collaboration of two British legends that we’ve been following since 1998. We love how the Mini is packed with Paul Smith references, but they remain understated and subtly integrated. These touches are thoughtful and infused with personal anecdotes from the designer. Twenty years down, this will be one of those collectibles that we’ll be coveting. The 2025 Mini X Paul Smith edition is available in both electric and combustion engine versions for all 3-door, 5-door, and convertible versions.