--- title: "Meet Spike, Mini’s New Digital Assistant for Infotainment" description: "Mini just introduced Spike, the digital English bulldog that will be the face of its virtual assistant in all upcoming cars." date: "2023-04-10" modified: "2023-04-10" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/meet-spike-minis-new-digital-assistant-for-infotainment" categories: - "Mini News" - "News" - "News by Brand" --- # Meet Spike, Mini’s New Digital Assistant for Infotainment ![]() Mini is putting a furry face to the digital assistant that will feature in its upcoming models, starting with the Aceman concept. His name is Spike and he's a virtual English bulldog that lives in the infotainment system of the [Mini Aceman]() concept and guides passengers through its operation. (*Eds Note: Did we learn nothing from Clippy?*) Voice-activated digital assistants aren't new. Most premium car companies have their versions, typically activated by a phrase like, "Hey Mercedes," "Hey BMW," or "Listen up, AMC." (One of those may be made up.) However, [Mini ]()wants to give it more personality, so it acts more like a companion helping you through your various journeys rather than just a cold, natural language user interface. According to Mini's head of design, Oliver Heilmer, "\[Spike\] is not just a design experiment—he is becoming a characterful companion for the user experience.” ![]() Spike will first be seen in person at the 2023 Auto Shanghai show April 18-27, both in digital form inside the Aceman concept and as an art toy sculpture. Mini has been using the idea of Spike, the English bulldog since it rebranded itself under BMW in 2001. This is just the first time Mini will use Spike in its actual cars, rather than just throwing a bulldog into commercials and Instagram ads. Spike will now be seen in Mini's circular infotainment system, and likely will have countless animations for different functions. However, in the case of the Aceman concept, whose entire dashboard is digital, Spike can also make his way outside the main infotainment circle. ![]() So far, it just seems like Spike is going to be the digital face of Mini's version of BMW's virtual assistant. Mini hasn't said just how much Spike will be able to do or how many functions he will have, but more info is said to be coming this year. Mini has always been about cheeky fun and Spike seems to be something that its customers will like, even if he doesn't provide any additional functionality to the user experience. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()