Following appearances in Frankfurt and Tokyo, Mini has taken its retro station-wagon Traveller concept to Detroit - and BMW has confirmed, as if we hadn't guessed already, that a version will go into production. Sales and marketing chief Dr Michael Ganal said that the new Traveller will be on the road "within the next three years" and will be a "modern interpretation of the classic Mini Traveller and Countryman estates of the 60s".

Each of the Traveller concepts seen so far has had different, country-specific, touches, this Detroit show car being finished in silver and grey paint with highlights in the red, white and blue of the American flag and a pair of broad racing stripes.

Traveller will be on the road "within the next three years"
It's also taken a winter sports theme, with roof rack and boot fitments for carrying skis, snowboards, mountain bikes and other such equipment. Like the Tokyo and Frankfurt cars, it has side doors which swivel to the side and to the front, rear sliding windows and no B-pillar behind the front windows; at the rear are two vertically-split doors in place of the usual hatchback/estate tailgate, as on the original Travellers. It also has an adjustable cargo box and an opening section on the rear of its roof, as well as a "sports utility box" which fastens below the rear side window; this can be loaded and unloaded from either inside or outside the car.

Although much of the detailing may not make production - and the long doors and flip-forward bonnet certainly won't - the basic dimensions and structure of this Traveller are expected to remain unchanged for the production car. This concept also previews the next-generation Mini platform and suggests that the new hatchback, due in 2007, will be a little larger all-round than the current model.

read full blog