In the world of comic book superheroes, there are several that hold the power of electricity. There’s the God of Thunder (Thor), Shazam, Jolt, Captain Marvel (the original) and, most famous of all, The Flash. The last one has recently turned 80 and the moment was celebrated by MINI Italy with a special MINI Electric model, dressed up in lightning bolts and the traditional colors used by the DC-comics character.
Even though his crest would make you believe he can somehow control lightning bolts, The Flash was mainly characterized by its super speed, sometimes described as faster than the speed of light. Of course, such velocities would cause a lot of friction and develop electromagnetic fields which is why he is often portrayed surrounded by little bolts. That’s also why he was picked for this project, as the MINI Electric is also fast and fun, with a quirky attitude that’s stuck in its DNA.
The graphics you see on the car were done by Carmine Di Giandomenico, one of the most well known and active Italian cartoonists all over the world. He is very familiar with the scarlet sprinter, since he was responsible for making more than 34 issues. The work done on the MINI Electric is a reinterpretation of the historical issue 123 cover drawn by Carmine Infantino, a version that is a merger between the classic version of “The Flash” (Jay Garrick), and its modern version (Barry Allen), becoming very popular thanks to different movies and TV series.
In the background, just like in the original book cover, you can spot the city where all of his adventures take place: Central City. To keep on pace with the superhero and the car, Carmine di Giandomenico designed the full graphics for the MINI Electric in record speed, being done in just 10 hours, using a mixed technique.
