Sebastian Vettel Drives the New MINI Countryman in Budapest
Official Release: Red Bull Racing driver Sebastian Vettel drives a MINI Countryman during his stay in Budapest at the F1 Grand Prix. The car having its market launch only in September was offered to Sebastian by BMW Group Hungary. The driver currently 4th in the World Championship was happy to have the car at his disposal – he sat excitedly into the new MINI model and drove straight to the Hungaroring from the airport. The black MINI Cooper S Countryman was delivered from the new model’s international media launch to Budapest to be Sebatian’s companion on the Hungarian roads and was handed over by Henning Putzke, Managing Director of BMW Group Hungary.
It may not appear on Formula 1, but we will have the chance to see the new MINI Countryman WRC model in the World Rally Championship as a car with a rich and successful heritage as Monte Carlo rallye winner returns to the international rally sport starting from next season. The car is developed by Prodrive, in close cooperation with MINI, and is based on the production model. The powerful heart of the racing car is a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbo-charged engine from BMW Motorsport.
The MINI Countryman is the first member of the MINI family with a body measuring more than four meters in length and optional all-wheel drive. With these features, in addition to the Countryman’s raised seating position and optimized riding comfort, the world’s only premium vehicle of its kind crosses the boundaries of urban mobility to take the trademark MINI feeling into new dimensions and win over additional target groups.
The latest generation of petrol and diesel engines has been recruited to power the MINI Countryman. Their brisk power development and optimized smoothness contribute to the Countryman’s agility and excellent long-distance comfort – both MINI trademark traits. Plus, the remarkable ability of all the units to extract maximum benefit from the energy they consume enables the brand’s fourth model to boast a stand-out level of efficiency over its direct competitors. Extensive MINIMALISM measures play a key role in further reducing fuel consumption and emissions.
Optional MINI ALL4 all-wheel drive allows the driving fun you expect from the brand to be experienced off the beaten track as well. The permanent all-wheel-drive system’s quick and precise responses to changing conditions provide a new, traction-led expression of the handling talents for which MINI is famed. An electromagnetic centre differential positioned directly on the final drive varies the distribution of power seamlessly between the front and rear axles. The ALL4 system is available for the MINI Cooper S Countryman and MINI Cooper D Countryman.
<p>I didn’t realize the guys a midget, of course not a midget behind the wheel.</p>
<p>Hey, Sepp is 5 ft 8. Not that short, is it?</p>
<p>Vettel is an excellent driver with moves and judgment better than some of the older or more “famous” drivers this season.</p>
<p>And just like David Coulthard looks like Kryten from Red Dwarf, Sebastian Vettel looks like a slightly-older / slightly-taller Justin Bieber. :)</p>
<p>now we’re talking. this is the only thing i’ve liked about the countryman, so far. :)</p>
<p>now waiting for the WRC version…</p>
<p>…a midget Justin Bieber… come on guys, cut the guy some slack… :)</p>
<p>Maybe they’re trying to lure him to the WRC side of things, too, like Kimi.</p>
<p>That’s just too bad. Anyone but the dweeb (Vettel) or Alonzo. Am I being petty? Of Course!</p>
<p>Seeing as how Vettel lost the last two Grand Prix from pole position before the first turn with incredibly juvenile antics at the start — never mind taking out both Red Bulls in Turkey — I’d rate his judgement somewhere near the bottom of the grid.</p>
<p>Nice to see he dressed up for the occasion. Mr Beiber would certainly have done…..</p>
<p>@Minipuma – Turkey was a “takes two to crash” situation as far as I’m concerned. And not winning a race despite starting on pole? Since when is that a demonstration of bad judgment?</p>
<p>I’m not a fan of RBR but, like I said prior (resemblance to Justin Bieber aside), Vettel is demonstrating some seriously quick and fluid driving… and he’s on pole again for tomorrow’s race, FWIW:
<a href="http://www.grandprix.com/race/r832q1results.html" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.grandprix.com/race/r832q1results.html</a></p>
<p>Besides at least he’s not sucky baby Alonso in an over-rated Ferrari. ;)</p>
<p>@goat — the bad judgement isn’t “not winning the race”, it’s in back to back weeks making the same extremely aggressive move to run the second-place car off the track at the start (once to his teammate) instead of trying to be first into the corner, and both times losing 2 or more spots. The fact is, he has (by far) the fastest car on the grid and he’s only not leading in the championship points due to his repeated aggressive driving, especially towards his teammate — very poor judgement in my opinion.</p>
<p>btw I’m not sure if Alonso’s head would fit in a MINI, so that’s probably the reason…</p>
<p>ha,ha,ha….. I love this site…</p>
<p>Justin Beiber? come on guys since when has this been a site teenie-boppers and grade schoolers…
I see Mark Webber won the weekends race – Another Aussie in the mould of Sir Jack Brabham (and Crocodile Dundee).</p>
<p>@ MINIpuma – the late great Senna was guilty of similar hyper-aggressiveness off starts. Notice that typically in racing it isn’t considered “bad judgment” until a crash occurs, otherwise it is “bold moves”? I’m just pointing out the double standard that we seem to hold F1 drivers too. If they yield too much they get criticized, if they dive in or take risks they get criticized…</p>
<p>Either way, was glad to see Webber do so well in Hungary. He’s a class act for sure (but also quite a few years more “mature” than Vettel, let’s remember!). Now Hamilton / Mclaren-Mercedes has some serious driving to do in next few races…</p>
<p>Weird…How does it work with car company endorsements?</p>
<p>He drives a Renault-engined car, but can accept promo from BMW? Maybe because he doesn’t drive for the works (manufacturer/Renault) company itself?</p>