At this year’s IAA Mobility in Munich, MINI will present a collaboration that bridges motorsport heritage with contemporary lifestyle. Together with Deus Ex Machina, the fashion and custom-culture brand, MINI unveiled two spectacular one-off John Cooper Works models: The Skeg and The Machina.
Both cars highlight what happens when design, craftsmanship, and passion meet in a perfect way. The Skeg is influenced from surf culture, such as lightweight fibreglass elements and functional details from board design, and offers a fresh, electrifying look with bright yellow-silver tones. The Machina, in contrast, celebrates raw motorsport DNA with its red-white-black livery, rally-inspired spotlights, and pared-back, mechanical interior.
What makes these showcars stand out is not perfection, but authenticity. Visible seams, functional switches, and bold graphics underline a philosophy that values character and storytelling as much as performance.
The Skeg embodies surf lifestyle paired with passion for racing: semi-transparent fibreglass, wide fenders, an illuminated front grille and a dynamic “surf spoiler” that adapts to airflow like a board cutting through waves. Even inside, neoprene details, sisal flooring, and simple, functional trays for wetsuits create the impression of a mobile shaping bay on four wheels.
The Machina, on the other hand, dives deep into MINI’s motorsport DNA. Its red-white-black livery, rally-style spotlights, Can-Am-inspired rear wing, and stripped-down interior with raw aluminum floors and 5-point harness belts make it feel like a purpose-built racer. From the hydraulic handbrake to the perforated cooling elements, every feature is a nod to pure mechanical honesty.
These two cars are different in character, yet bound together by the white “X” on their roofs — a symbol of co-creation between MINI and Deus. It’s a collaboration that turns history into a platform for experimentation and design storytelling.
To understand this vision more closely, Sleek spoke with Holger Hampf, Head of MINI Design.
SLEEK The collaboration with Deus Ex Machina is based on a shared passion for racing heritage, innovation and creativity. What specific impulses and values has this partnership brought to the MINI JCW x Deus project?
Holger Hampf The partnership with Deus Ex Machina is a perfect match for us. Both brands share a deep passion for motorsport and bold, individualized design. The collaboration between MINI and Deus Ex Machina is therefore very authentic and has unleashed exciting new energies.
First and foremost, it aims to connect and reinterpret MINI John Cooper Works’ racing tradition and racing enthusiasm with Deus’s unique attitude and craftsmanship. Every part of both vehicles, down to the selection of the smallest screw and the design of MINI’s characteristic toggle switches in the cockpit, reflects this enthusiasm and contributes to the dynamics and spirit of motorsport.
Furthermore, creativity and individualized design are at the forefront. These two John Cooper Works models are creative one-offs, distinguished by craftsmanship and tailor-made functionality. The close creative exchange with Deus has encouraged us to go beyond the ordinary and create designs that are not only functional, but also aesthetically very appealing. We have deliberately chosen a design language that celebrates authenticity and the “beauty of imperfection.”
Additionally, we have used innovative materials and technologies: For example, semi-transparent fiberglass, inspired by surfboard production. It is not only lightweight and stable, but also contributes to improving aerodynamics.
Finally, the close connection to our communities is a central value of this partnership. The two showcars and the associated apparel collection are an expression of a lifestyle that embodies creativity and adventurous spirit. Our customers can thus become part of this exciting journey.
In summary, I would say that our joint MINI x DEUS project represents an exciting mix of racing culture, creative innovation and tailor-made design that, through close collaboration, appeals equally to both motorsport enthusiasts and design lovers.
S Electric mobility is a central component of the current MINI strategy. How is this transformation visible in the showcar “The Skeg,” which was created in close collaboration with Deus Ex Machina and Matt Willey?
HH We are continuously electrifying the MINI brand and have introduced three new electric models with the new MINI family. “The Skeg” represents the shift to electric mobility and sustainable mobility.
The striking yellow-silver color combination of the bodywork serves as a statement for electric mobility at MINI. Furthermore, the use of fiberglass components ensures both weight reduction and improved aerodynamics – good for the typical MINI go-kart feeling as well as efficiency and range of the electric vehicle alike.
S “The Skeg” and “The Machina” are fundamentally different at first glance: an electric surf-inspired showcar and a mechanically influenced motorsport one-off. Which three terms best capture the common design character of these two vehicles for you?
HH Purist. Functional. Expressive. Both vehicles should be clearly perceived as belonging together. Through the distinctive use of graphic elements, they remind us of racing history and MINI’s successes. Every detail, no matter how small, has a function and was designed with craftsmanship finesse. Reduction to the essential was the overarching goal in design, which can be clearly seen in the purist look of the cars, I think.
S Craftsmanship details and the “beauty of imperfection” are central design principles of this cooperation. Which specific elements were particularly important to you in emphasizing this authenticity in both showcars?
HH We placed great emphasis on details that reflect individuality and craftsmanship, such as visible seams, distinctive switches and physical controls that emphasize the mechanical character in the cockpit. Additionally, authentic materials from the surf world, such as fiberglass and neoprene, are used in “The Skeg.” “Beauty of imperfection” is shown in the design through irregular surfaces, asymmetry – for example, in the different paint finishes of the wheels – and unique forms that highlight the handcrafted aspect of the vehicles. The materials and colors used create bold contrasts: a deliberate break with high gloss. Instead of perfection, authenticity takes center stage: designers speak of a “raw, craftsmanship vibe.” These imperfections give the showcars an authentic and lively character that strengthens the connection to their sources of inspiration.
S Under the motto “Two worlds. Two cars. One passion,” surf lifestyle and motorsport DNA come together. Why is precisely this combination of such different characters particularly exciting for MINI?
HH The combination of surf lifestyle and motorsport DNA represents the cooperation between Deus Ex Machina and the MINI brand. Deus Ex Machina conveys a unique lifestyle feeling through the connection of motorcycle culture, surf spirit and urban streetwear that fits very well with MINI. Also MINI is different, versatile, open and has a long racing history. Surfing and motorsport, these two different worlds, represent different lifestyles but share the same passion for freedom, adventure and individuality.
Surfing stands for a cool, creative lifestyle that emphasizes the connection to nature and community. Motorsport goes hand in hand with speed, precision and performance. For me the brands Deus and MINI embody both characters equally.
S The design of the vehicles was developed in a creative co-creation process between MINI Design and Deus Ex Machina. How did this process work to achieve such a coherent, detailed and simultaneously functional result?
HH Only through the close and continuous exchange between the designers from Deus and MINI and an incredibly positive spirit throughout the entire team could these unique vehicles be created. All participants made important creative contributions. Deus brought casual creativity and experience in vehicle individualization into the project with its bold design and lifestyle appeal, and provided the striking exterior graphics. The automotive design expertise came from MINI and was complemented by many unconventional ideas from BMW Group subsidiary Designworks. Through this concentrated creative power and the united belief in the power of design, an extraordinary dynamic developed in the team, which is reflected in the remarkable design of both vehicles.
S The world premiere of the two MINI JCW x DEUS cars at IAA Mobility 2025 is a highlight for the brand. What strategic and emotional significance does this appearance have for MINI?
HH The two MINI x DEUS JCW models together represent individual lifestyle and maximum driving pleasure with the typical MINI go-kart feeling, regardless of the drivetrain. This is exactly what our customers experience with the new MINI family. Cooperations like this one with Deus Ex Machina give the brand’s design new impulses and show the enormous potential of individualization. This way we ensure that MINI is and remains as individual as its customers.
S The MINI JCW competed again on the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 2025, this time in Deus Ex Machina design. What does this connection between racing performance and exclusive design cooperation mean to you personally?
HH The “Green Hell” with its fast straights and challenging curves is legendary and one of the toughest tests in motorsport. The participation of the specially built MINI John Cooper Works (with purist MINI X DEUS design) in the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring was the kickoff of our brand cooperation. To see there how the MINI proves its racing qualities while simultaneously giving motorsport a bold and creative touch with the extremely striking and graphic MINI x DEUS livery in black-and-white design, I find very exciting. Being there, cheering along, is incredibly emotional.