May 6th, 2013
A win and two second places in the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies. A third of the way into the season, the X-raid Team boasts a solid record with its MINI ALL4 Racings.
Official news from MINI Motorsport: After back-to-back victories at the Dakar Rally, the Monster Energy X-raid Team started the new season as it ended the last – successfully. Despite the triumphs at the toughest endurance rally in the world, Team Principal Sven Quandt’s outfit is still hungry for success. This bodes well for fans of the X-raid Team, which has put its faith in the reliable performance of the MINI ALL4 Racing for years now. The team, which once again lined up with one of the most cosmopolitan crews at the latest Dakar, once again has an excellent record already this season.
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Apr 24th, 2013
While we’re used to seeing MINIs compete in the World Rally Championship at this point, the WRC isn’t the only venue where MINIs compete against the clock. From privateer teams running Targa events around the world to this race, the Allgäu-Orient Rally in Oberstaufen, Germany that starts at the end of this week. A couple of key things set the Allgäu-Orient Rally apart. First, it’s one-way. There’s no return route or looped course. Secondly and most interestingly, the race cars are auctioned off for charity at the end of the race. Pretty cool, eh? Get the official details from the MINI press release (and a gallery of race livery photos) after the jump.
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Apr 3rd, 2013
If you’re unfamiliar with Speed’s R U Faster than a Redneck, the show is one part absurd Top Gear challenge, two parts Blue Collar Comedy Tour. Contestant racers pit their wits, driving skills and exotic rides against “good old fashioned” american muscle cars in a series of race challenges. This week, a MINI will pick up the gauntlet thrown down by american muscle. Who will come out on top? You’ll have to tune in Friday, April 5, 2013 at 9PM EDT on the Speed Network to find out. Here’s a previous episode (for as long as it’s allowed to stay up on YouTube, anyway.) continued →
Mar 16th, 2013
Via our friends at Bridge to Gantry the most famous race track in the world is now for sale. This could be bad or good news depending on who ultimately buys the track out of all the potential suitors. However one thing is for certain. The ‘Ring is changing. And for manufacturers like BMW and MINI who use the ‘Ring to develop cars that has to be somewhat unsettling.
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Jan 20th, 2013
MINI and Stéphane Peterhansel have done it once again. The MINI ALL4 Racing team has won Dakar for the 2nd time in as many years and done so in dominant fashion. Perhaps the most treacherous race in the world, Dakar is 5,300 miles of pretty much everything you can imagine. And the MINI Countryman (powered by a BMW Motorsport diesel and designed by the MINI Design Team) has once again beaten teams from all over the world driving all sorts of vehicles.
Official Release: It seems nothing can stand in their way. The French duo of Stéphane Peterhansel and co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret have won the Dakar Rally 2013 in a MINI ALL4 Racing in a repeat of last year’s success. With their overall time of 38:32.39, the lead pairing of the privately-entered Monster Energy X-raid Team from Trebur, Germany crossed the finish line in Santiago de Chile 42:22 minutes ahead of their nearest pursuers in the overall classification. For Peterhansel, his second victory in the MINI ALL4 Racing was also the 11th of his career in the Dakar. continued →
Jan 17th, 2013
Official News from MINI Motorsport: Stéphane Peterhansel in the MINI ALL4 Racing defends his lead on the twelfth stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally to take a step closer to his eleventh overall victory.
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Jan 16th, 2013
For some, the fact that the MINIs racing in Dakar are purpose-built racing cars as opposed to modified street cars sticks in their craw. I won’t attempt to explain how racing works for the bajillionth time, but for those who want to see the standard R60 participating in the Dakar, there are several Countryman involved in the race as support vehicles.
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