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For all you looking forward to the 2004 race/autocross season this may wet your appetite. This video is of the John Cooper Challenge series and features some of the highlights and not so highlights of the 2003 season.
It's in the latest Windows Media format so if you're on a Mac or Windows machine you'll need the latest Windows Media Player 9 to view it.
You can download the large (15mb) version here and the smaller (3mb) version here.
<p>That is just the best thing I've seen in a long while. They're merciless in that series! Those folks redefine “like ya just don't care”!! ;-)</p>
<p>Looks like a ton o' fun! But at the same time, I felt like going out to the garage and assuring my car taht it will never undergo that kind of pain…lol</p>
<p>Seems more like a stock car rally than a rules race! Would prefer to see more skilled driving promoting the Mini's handling – just a personal opinion!</p>
<p>Wow amazing footage!</p>
<p>Who needs the pavement when the MINI offroads so well? </p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>i agree with ciaran. this footage doesn't fill me with confidence about the abilities of the car. can someone explain why they were crashing all over the place? i have no track experience but is this reasonable? i'm genuinely curious.</p>
<p>thanks.</p>
<p>Methinks that race series doesn't penalize you for bumping and grinding, as it were. Those guys were pushing pretty agressively and not being shy about car-to-car contact. Many of the spins on the video are the result of a push from another car. You'll also notice that the cars actually passing under the checkered flag look remarkably unscathed…so maybe there's a driver skill component too, at least amongst those good enough to keep it together for a full race.</p>
<p>My thoughts on the topic, having spent considerable time crewing at Summit Point in West Virginia, is that it's less a reflection of the car than how it's being driven. The folks on the Cooper Challenge video who seem to have some skill and/or decorum show just how controllable and recoverable the Cooper is…for example, the one Velvet Red car is collected up very nicely from a drift around a wet corner.</p>
<p>Just my two cents…</p>
<p>Tim</p>
<p>This video has been up for a while on Mini2. Its cool that the Motoring File is here to bring the 411 to the masses.
I must imagine that these guys have their own body shops and probably are millionares playing with their toys. My favorite part is during the last minute where a red Mini is drifted through a turn with controlled oversteer!!!
Woooo hoooooo!!</p>
<p>Yeah I actually thought I had posted it the day it came out on MINI2 but must have forgotten. Anyway it's good timing since the race season is starting up again here in the US.</p>
<p>Are you sure that they are not using Bumper Car rules? heh heh..</p>
<p>Oh, and almost forgot, you don't need Media Player 9 to view it.. the older one (mplayer) works just fine…</p>
<p>You do if you're using the older (and crippled) MS Media player for OSX. I figured I'd just make the blanket statement so I wouldn't get the barage of “I can't play this” comments :)</p>
<p>I found it on the turboford website about three weeks ago and posted it on NAM ;)</p>
<p>…and I too, love the drifting MINI!!</p>
<p>speaking of drifting: check out <a href="http://www.8200rpm.com//stuffvids/vkd_driftchallenge2003.wmv">http://www.8200rpm.com//stuffvids/vkd_driftchallenge2003.wmv</a></p>
<p>Who is the music done by?</p>
<p>Gabe.. Heh heh… I just didn't want you to get any 'Media Player 9 broke my windows box' comments…</p>
<p>Me parece un buen video, emocionante, emotivo y con un mensaje muy claro.
Desde México</p>
<p>Gracias Horax – convengo!</p>