Sir Alec Issigonis was the creator of the original Mini. If he were alive, which he isn't, his 107th birthday would be on November 18th. And that is when the next Mini will debut.
We've already seen a preview of the new Mini with the Vision Concept. I thought it was a rather attractive little bugger, much better than the car we have now, which I like but do find a bit bulbous.
Showing it off on Issigonis' birthday could be construed as a strong statement about the next Mini: It's hearkening back to the original and honoring its creator. That means the next Mini has to be light, lithe, and smaller than the one we have now. More like the last design.
Or Mini is just debuting it on that day because it's convenient for marketing and coincides with the LA Auto Show. Let's hope that this car is decidedly more original Mini Cooper than Mini Paceman. Because anything is better than the Paceman.