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New MINI to be revealed on 18th November – Sir Alec Issigonis’ birthday

The new MINI will be revealed on 18th November A couple of weeks ago, MINI revealed the MINI Vision Concept at the MINI Design Studios in Munich which previews the new Mk3 MINI, although it wasn’t a physical car, just a projected hologram. But the real new MINI isn’t far from a reveal, and MINI has announced that it will arrive on 18th November, which just happens to be the 107th birthday of the creator of the original Mini – Sir Alec Issigonis. The reveal will take place at the MINI Plant in Oxford with a party in London the same evening to celebrate, and on the 20th November the new MINI will be revealed in public at events in Los Angeles and Tokyo ahead of the Tokyo and Los Angeles Motor Shows.

Concept Car of the Week: Ford Synergy 2010 (1996)

In the early 1990s, the US government instigated the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles research program (PNGV). This brought Ford, GM and Chrysler together to collaborate in developing cars that could achieve up to 80mpg, and be ready to market by 2003. While working on the PNGV, in 1996 Ford introduced the Synergy 2010, featuring the firm's 'New Edge' design that debuted a year earlier with the GT90 concept.

Stig test drives motorway pub

The BBC has released a video of the Stig test driving Britain’s first motorway pub, presumably as a way of promoting its new series of Top Gear. The video shows the Stig pull up at Beaconsfield services in a Vauxhall Insignia, before entering the Hope and Champion pub and posing for photos, and then ordering a pint of beer. On Bing: see pictures of the Stig England’s first motorway pub set to open However, as the Stig raises the pint to his mouth, he realises it’s not drinkable as he is still wearing his helmet.