Nothing has to stay the way it is. A portrait of Christopher Weil.

Since 2013  Christopher Weil has been Head of Exterior Design at MINI. That means he’s the man responsible for the overall exterior design of current and future MINI production models and concept cars. He has set himself the task of encouraging his team to give free rein to their creativity and to rethink the MINI brand.

A career’s commitment to design.
Christopher Weil is a firm believer in good car design as something we can feel as well as see. Design conveys emotions, after all – and shaping emotions is precisely what Weil sets out to achieve. After passing his Abitur high-school exams he studied Transportation Design at Pforzheim University, one of the world’s leading design faculties. This proved to be a defining period for Weil, one which helped him develop his own artistic personality while keeping in mind the function of design. His career at BMW began shortly after the turn of the millennium with a special project in Barcelona, Spain. In other postings within the BMW Group, Weil designed – among other things – the exterior of models including the BMW 3 Series and BMW 328 Hommage (unveiled at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este classic car event in 2011). Following a period in Los Angeles, he took over as Head of Exterior Design at MINI in 2013 and feels very much established there. This is a place where he can help shape the future, with a team that give him fresh inspiration day by day.

The Weil ideology: create new things.
Among the aspects of MINI that fascinate Weil are the multiple facets the brand has developed through the connection of past and future. He firmly believes that the design possibilities for the brand are endless; because MINI can surprise yet at the same time remain 100% MINI. That explains why he finds the initial sketch phase of the design process particularly stimulating. Here, the wealth of ideas within his team are allowed to pour out unchecked. A passionate designer, Weil deliberately creates this exciting environment in order to spark groundbreaking ideas and innovations. Weil sets great store by not only exploring all avenues but also creating a depth to a car’s design that strikes a chord with the customer. Design has to be thoroughly thought through and specifically adapted to the function and the target group at hand.

Weil considers in-depth technical understanding to be a crucial element in good automotive design. After all, a car’s design spawns an emotion-rich overall experience, underpinned by its technology and engineering.

On a personal note.
Weil lives and breathes design. He draws inspiration from life itself – in major international cities, for example. Here he observes how changing light alters the shape of vehicles, he absorbs the flows and trends and incorporates them into his work. He is particularly taken by the work of Charles & Ray Eames, above all by the aesthetic beauty of their designs, but also by the duo’s deep understanding of technology, materials, problem-solving and the manufacturing process as such. To clear his head, Christopher turns to water sports – so it’s handy he lives by a lake.