Go Forth. Go West. Go MINI. MINI TAKES THE STATES 2012 Confirmed To Kick Off July 4, 2012

The biggest official MINI road rally is scheduled to take place again this summer. The bi-annual MINI Takes the States (MTTS) rally will kick off on the east coast Wednesday, July 4th and will make the cross-country trek to the Pacific Ocean concluding on Sunday, July 15th.

“MTTS is perhaps the brand’s greatest demonstration of our commitment to the MINI community,” Jim McDowell, VP of MINI USA told Miniology, “During MTTS, MINI USA acts on its promise to deliver a motoring experience unlike any other brand, engaging owners and their families and ensuring they enjoy their MINI to the fullest extent possible.”

As MINI celebrates its 10-year anniversary this year in the US, thousands of MINI owners and enthusiasts will join the cross-country rally, or a leg of it, dotting the horizon with a gleaming caravan of MINIs.

Along the way, MINI USA will provide its loyal owners and enthusiasts with genuine, once-in-a-lifetime motoring experiences.

The 2010 event included a run on the Bonneville Salt Flats and laps on the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in addition to other engaging daily activities.

MTTS 2012 route details and adventures are still being finalized; full details will be provided in the coming weeks.

Some of the stuff you can bet Miniology will be covering:

- Sneak peeks and early test drives of all-new MINI vehicles and technologies.

- Interviews with MINI executives and owners for unique feature stories
Autocross experiences demonstrating MINI’s performance and handling.

- Immersion in the festive, cheeky MINI culture and the lifestyle the brand offers interaction with the charity partner chosen to receive net proceeds from the registration fee.

Participant registration begins in April, but owners and enthusiasts can sign up now to receive updates at www.miniusa.com/mtts.