I live in Rockland County NY. BMW and MINI North America headquarters are nearby in Woodcliff Lake, NJ.

I was driving south on the NY State Thruway I-87 this afternoon at lunchtime toward the Palisades Mall. I looked in my sideview mirror at what I thought was a British Racing Green R56. But as it got closer I noticed that it was not a R56 but a very semi disguised R57 convertible with vehicle manufacturer plates. The MINI badges on the boot and bonnet were covered in black tape. The side scuttles were also covered in black tape. How that bit of black tape helps to "disguise" the make of the car is beyond me. Even a non car enthusaist can spot a MINI.

Anyway it was cool to see one driving down the highway well before its official launch date.

Sorry no pictures.

 

Here's some pics of the R57 S they had display at Bill Jacobs in Naperville yesterday (link to the post I made in our club forum):

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ml#post2659904