MINIs Battle on the ‘Ring
We’ve always said that the ‘go-fast’ part that counts most is between your ears and not under the hood. Case in point, the video above. While the MINI is mighty, it is on paper slower than many of the cars they pass. But with good car control and an exceptional car underneath, our two unnamed heroes easily dispatch most of what’s in their path.
Have your own track-day David vs Goliath stories? Let’s hear them in the comment section below.
Via Jalopnik
Also, a quick bonus video for those of you who like GPs:
<p>Uh, Gabe, you might want to watch that video again. The white GT3 storms past the MINIs and never looks back. They keep up til the big straight, but there’s definitely no passing.</p>
<p>As a current MINI and former Porsche owner, I love my MINI, but on the Green Hell, I’ll take a Porsche any day.</p>
<p>The article does say that they “dispatch most of what’s in their path” not everything in their path. Although that GT3 storms past them, I wouldn’t say it never looks back. They did catch and hang with it for a decent amount of time. A GT3 costs, what, 4 or 5 times a GP? Not a bad bang for your buck there…</p>
<p>yeah, they caught it, because of traffic, and then did hang with it. But I do think they were gaining on it on the turns and it was only the long straights where it walked away.</p>
<p>I had the impression that the newer MINI could have passed the GP quite a few times.</p>
<p>I also had the feeling that R56 could have had his way with the GP on several occasions; and that, in the twisties, both MINIs could have had their way with the GT3. It was only because of the long “straight” that the Porsche could unleash its horses and walk past the MINIs.</p>
<p>Still, that video makes me miss my trip to the Ring. I have to save some money now….</p>
<p>Depends on how the cars are prepped as the GP is not your garden variety GP. Rather obvious from the full roll cage. Don’t draw any conclusions that any MINI can do this but having a track car sure helps but exactly does not say anything about the MINI that is sold to the general public. Don’t get me wrong, I love watching GP’s flog the Ring.</p>
<p>I LoL’ed when they passed the yellow Porsche…</p>
<p>Great vids, thanks.</p>
<p>That is not a GP look closer</p>
<p>you’re right – the first video isn’t. I was mixing up the cars/videos in my post.</p>
<p>The GP driver can’t drive! </p>
<p>At Infineon, I beat the snot out of a 427 Cobra in a 65 Convertible prepped for street driving. A guy in a Volvo Station Wagon (rental from Hertz) blew my doors off at Thunderhill. Take anything on a track open to the public with a very big grain of salt.</p>
<p>Most satisfying point by’s in my R53:</p>
<ul>
<li>Porsche GT3 (young driver, scared of his car)</li>
<li>Porsche Cayman</li>
<li>Lotus Elise</li>
<li>Numerous E36 and E46 M3s (just LOVE humiliating the M cars)</li>
</ul>