Flashback to Gamescom 2022, where MINI debuted its first all-electric car, the Concept Aceman. To the delight of Pokémon fans around the world, MINI took design inspiration from the ultimate electricity mascot, creating a Pikachu-themed car with fun and immersive interactive features.

This year, MINI returned to the popular event, held in Cologne, with a special installation to bring entertainment to the fandom and, most importantly, tease its new generation of MINIs. Thinking outside the box, the brand was inspired by the world of science fiction to create a very believable high-tech lab with the MINI Interaction Unit at its core.

In the MINI laboratory, visitors could approach a 5-meter incubator in which a constellation of lights formed a hologram of the MINI Family. The star of the show, however, was the circular central display, with several copies assembled around the Interaction Unit. Made with advanced Samsung OLED technology, the interactive display is the first of its kind in the automotive industry and represents the heart and soul of the new car with visitors able to try out its various functions for themselves.

Attendees had their pulses measured on a hand scanner and watched how the Interaction Unit reacted — the mood lighting, the movement of the MINI silhouette in the incubator, and the music all changed with each visitor's heartbeat. This special attraction was exclusive to the event, but the MINI Family’s Personal Mode will also offer cool personalization features- MINI drivers will be able to upload their own pictures, select a color, and customize the display and lighting in the entire cockpit.

For some extra buzz, MINI invited popular cosplayer Maul Cosplay to dress up as a sci-fi scientist, as well as returning talent Lara Loft. Plus, EasterEggs from games and movies were dotted around the lab for the viewing pleasure of vigilant sci-fi fans. MINI’s got a good thing going here— no one appreciates interactive, futuristic technology more than the gaming community, and the whole thing just gets better when science fiction is involved.

Find out more about the new MINI Family here and Samsung OLED here.