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MINI has officially announced that the international launch of the 2014 Gen 3 model will be at Plant Oxford on 18 November. There’s no better place for such a world premiere; the factory lines have already been expanded to accommodate the production of the F56 and the date coincides with Alec Issigonis’s 107th birthday. No doubt the critical eyes of the automotive world will be on Cowley for this mega-important reveal. But it’s not been easy to keep the latest incarnation under wraps from spy photographers as imagery has already been leaked to the press. Perhaps that’s no bad thing for MINI; it only builds up the anticipation even more and of course, it keeps the marque in the limelight. If you have an opinion on the Gen 3 MINI, let us know the usual way: mm.ed@kelseypb.co.uk If you were expecting to see the Modern MINI 2013 Oscar nominations in the this issue then don’t fret; we haven’t disbanded the whole concept, we’ve just moved this forward to the January-February 2014 edition where perhaps we’ll also have some new categories for your perusal, too! In the meantime, we’ve dedicated this issue to a ‘Maintenance Special’ – there are 13 pages of tips and pointers to keep your Gen 1 MINI in rude health, along with a useful piece written by Roland from GT Tuning on the R53’s known foibles. Great stuff. We also take a look at the quirky ‘camping concept’ vehicles that MINI has created from a Clubvan and Countryman, along with a completely new teardropshaped caravan named ‘The Cowley’. Now there’s no word of these actually becoming a reality, but they look fun all the same. As for me, well I’m writing this two days before embarking on a 420-mile road trip to attend the UK’s only dedicated new MINI show in Staffordshire.