Earlier this week MINI announced that they will be offering a new service for its customers, allowing them to customize their new rides even more. Since customization is an intricate part of MINI’s business model, the British company being known for its diverse offerings in the field, this was big news for its fans. Some of them, however, thought about the deeper implications coming with the possibility of having whatever you want 3D printed on your trims.
There are some people out there who just want to see the world burn, as one famous meme would put it, but MINI apparently though of that already. Therefore, when asked by a Dutch publication if ANYTHING goes, the company promptly responded saying no offensive words will be allowed. Apparently, there’s a list of no-no words somewhere in Oxford that are completely forbidden from printing and fitting on a car.
Of course, that does beg the question if whether that’s an exhaustive list, as the human brain can come up with creative ways to go around these limitations. Furthermore, one has to wonder if there’s such a list for every language out there and, if so, whether those lists are also exhaustive. I’m pretty certain it’s not the case but in these instances, the dealerships will have to be careful when taking in an order and make sure the customer doesn’t ask for something that would be considered inappropriate.
Since MINI is also open to 3D printing logos for various trims around the car, that could lead to other interesting situations. Then again, I’m pretty sure there’s also a catalogue filled with potentially offensive logos that are forbidden from ever reaching a printer, let alone a car.
