Dakar 2014

While comedian Jay Leno is famous for a great many things in his professional life, such as The Tonight Show, it’s his passion projects that have our attention. In particular, his web series Jay Leno’s Garage is a semi-weekly look into Jay’s automotive and motorcycle interests. The show is mostly a vehicle-by-vehicle tour of the enormous warehouse facility Jay refers to as his garage — his own private automotive museum. However, Jay also brings in guests from time to time who have something he thinks his viewers might be interested in. MF readers may remember a couple months back when Jay featured the TWINI — a twin-engined JCW R53 racing car — on the show.

In this week’s episode, Jay leaves the comforts of his garage for the heat of the desert to meet up with Nani Roma, this year’s winner of the Dakar Rally, and to get a better look at his Team MINI racing car.

They don’t start in the Dakar car, however. Jay and Nani first tear through the dunes in a regular MINI Countryman All4. Those who don’t think the R60 has any off-road chops, take note. Like most episodes of the show, Jay does get his chance behind the wheel, and gets his very own rally driving lesson in the process. More than anything else, what sets this particular episode of Jay Leno’s Garage apart is the cinematography. Lots of very well-composed slow motion and helicopter work.

A tip of the hat to Mark for sending this in to us.