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Mini Vision concept: what does it say about the brand's future?

The sight of Mini design head Anders Warming presenting a holographic, 3D projection of the Mini Vision concept as if appearing in his own cartoon was certainly a new one on us, but it captured the quirky, slightly left-field image the subsidiary of BMW Group has cultivated since its relaunch 13 years ago. As the 'Vision' tag suggests, this is billed as a marker of intent for the brand's future design direction rather than a pre-production teaser of the new Mini hatchback (Cooper in most markets) we'll see later this year. However if the third-generation 'new' Mini doesn't look remarkably similar we'd be amazed, such is the level of productionized detailing on this purely digital model.

The Stig revealed!

‘Black’ Stig got the sack when he was revealed as F1 hopeful Perry McCarthy (who lives just down the road from our office) and was ceremoniously dropped from the Top Gear frolics by being jettisoned off an aircraft carrier. So what will the boys have in store for ‘White’ Stig now his identity has been revealed as….? Ben Collins.

Nissan Townpod concept

Nissan showed off a fresh take on the urban vehicle with the Townpod concept in Paris. Part coupe, part commercial vehicle – according to a Nissan spokesperson we spoke to at the show – the Townpod concept features a clear product aesthetic and the inherent practicality of a van, without resorting to outright utilitarianism. Read our opinions of the Nissan Townpod concept in our 2010 Paris Motor Show Highlights, and see more images of the concept in the gallery below.