MotoringFile has learned that MINI intends to release a 4th (and most likely final) concept based on the MINI Traveller seen at Frankfurt, Tokyo and Detroit. While it isn’t clear what city the new concept will be shown at, the smart money would be on Geneva or New York. The shows run in March and April respectively and represent the last two major shows of the year.
Geneva will also reportedly mark the public debut of the finalized MINI JCW GP.
Related: [ MINI Concept Detroit ] MINI.com
I’ll put my money on the following:
Geneva (March 2-12): The GP, but no new Traveller Concept. March gives MINI time to get the GP out for the an summer delivery to customers. No new Traveller though because that would take away from the GP news, and leave MINI without something new to show in New York.
– New York (April 14-23) for the fourth and final Traveller Concept. Three months from NAIAS to prepare the fourth concept iteration.
– London (July 20-30) at the British Motor Show for the R56. Debut the R56 at home. The timing also works for a debut prior to the R56 production start, which the Paris show (september 30-October 15) wouldn’t allow for.
Dave – I’ll bet that that’s how it will happen.
Update: or <a href="http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060110/AUTO04/601100362/1364">maybe not</a>.
nah….you guys have it all wrong. They are going to release it all at the Philly Auto show… 🙂
(getting excited to see the concepts from 3 years ago that are now already in production!!!)
Fishbulb,
I have to agree. I’m from the Philly area and it’s basicly pointless to go to the Philly Auto Show when you can see everything and more at Detroit. With that in mind, I’m flying to Detroit. 🙂
I read this on the Detroit News site a few days ago:
“The Traveller first appeared at the Frankfurt show in September with a “Travelling in Style” theme, and a second iteration unveiled in Tokyo highlighted its British heritage. The one shown in Tokyo was stripped down and rebuilt for Detroit.
A fourth concept version will be shown at the Geneva auto show in March.”
<a href="http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060110/AUTO04/601100362/1364" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060110/AUTO04/601100362/1364</a>
Whether it’s correct or not, I don’t know.
KLF23
See Dave – this is why I don’t go into absolutes within stories 🙂
Boy, that just came around and bit me. 🙂
LOL
I’ll definitely go to Geneva. Can’t wait to see the GP and wouldn’t mind to see a traveller, too. what’s interesting, my dealer has never seen the GP before (not even pictures, he just knew that it’s shown at Geneva), so I showed him the MF website, I guess he’s a frequent reader now…
Amazing that a Dealer doesn’t know about MF! Mine turned me on to MF 2 yrs ago.
I can’t imagine Mini not bringing the next Traveler concept to NYC. It would be a real bummer if they decided to skip it because I couldn’t make it to the Detroit and I probably not going to Geneva. I was looking forward to the NYC show this march. Let’s hope they bring the mini to NYC.
sorry everyone i work for mini and you wont see the traveler through the dealer networks untill 2008/9