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Let it snow! MINI supports the Burton European Open for the second year. MINI presents its Creative Use of Space Award to the most creative snowboarders and shape crews.

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From 25 February to 3 March 2012 the best snowboarders on the planet will meet up for the 13th time at the Burton European Open (BEO) in the Swiss resort of Laax. MINI has been a partner of the snowboard event, part of the Burton Global Open Series (BGOS), since the 2010/2011 season – something experienced pro rider and MINI fan Marko Grilc (28) from Slovenia is particularly happy about: “Creativity and the freedom to express yourself is what snowboarding is all about – and it’s the same for MINI. That’s why the two go so well together.” The four-times junior champion and winner of the Air & Style 2009 competition in Innsbruck can’t wait for the action to get underway in Laax: “This will be a home competition for me and the European snowboarding scene,” he adds.

Creative Use of Space Award with prize money of 65,000 US dollars.

For the second year running the riders will get the chance to take home MINI’s Creative Use of Space Award. MINI presents the award to the male and female riders who nail the most innovative and progressive tricks in the halfpipe and slopestyle competitions at BGOS Open events (Canadian Open, Burton European Open & US Open). And under a new scoring system, creative performances also boost the riders’ points totals in the BGOS standings. Each Creative Use of Space Award is endowed with 5,000 US dollars and the winners are earning additional 25 extra points to add to their totals. For finalists, this can mean moving up a place or more in the BGOS standings.

Creative Use of Space Award also presented to shape crews for the first time.

This year, the shape crews sculpting the slopestyle courses at each of the four event venues also enjoy recognition of their work. MINI pitches in to help the crews design an obstacle bearing the brand’s signature – and this is integrated into the slopestyle course as a set feature. A jury made up of snowboarding veterans, professionals and media experts will vote on the most creative course execution at the end of the BGOS season. So, as well as playing an active role in how the competitions unfold, the shape crews now also have the chance to earn 5,000 US dollars in prize money.

The MINI Creative Use of Space Award 2012 got off to a flying start at the Burton Canadian Open, which took place from 30 January to 5 February in Calgary. Next up are the Burton European Open in Laax and the Burton US Open (5 – 11 March) in Stratton. The BGOS female and male overall winners for 2011/2012 will each be presented with a MINI Countryman. MINI also supplies BGOS with the MINI Countryman for its competitor and VIP shuttle service.

Click on the following links to see the Creative Use of Space Award winners in action at the Canadian Open.

Halfpipe:

Slopestyle:

And, of course, photos! We love photos, whether its from BMW or MINI or YOU! So let us know if you got some to share and we’ll post them here just like these are, bam!

[Source: BMW Group AG, Munich/Laax, 20-Feb-2012]

30 foot rocket with MINI Coupe appears in NYC

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For the launch (like we just posted..) there’s now a 30 foot rocket with a Mini Coupe attached ala Space Shuttle style..

Here’s a few pics courtesy of our friends in Woodcliff Lake, NJ (at the home base of BMW and MINI in the U.S.A.)

We think the astronauts may secretly be some of Miniology’s own space cadets, though we’re not sure who.. ;)

Rally RACC – Rally of Spain. 20th – 23rd October. 12th of 13 rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship. Preview.

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For its fifth event of the 2011 World Rally Championship the MINI WRC Team is heading to home turf for Dani Sordo (ES) and Carlos del Barrio (ES) for the Rally RACC – Rally of Spain.  If the Spaniards in MINI John Cooper Works WRC number 37 were happy after Germany, they were delighted after their last event in France as they moved one place higher on the podium to second. This event in the Tarragona region of Spain will be where Kris Meeke (GB) and Paul Nagle (IR) will be looking to finally achieve a good finish in their number 52 MINI.

The team’s Technical Director, Dave Wilcock, is very keen for the drivers to test immediately before every rally, and this tactic has certainly worked well. Therefore on Sunday and Monday both drivers will be testing on roads near to where the rally is being held.

David Richards, Team Principal:

“Germany and France exceeded all our expectations. This early in the development of the new car, we were not expecting to be challenging for a win and I think it is a real testament to the engineering team that they have managed to produce such a fast and reliable car straight out of the box. As for Spain, it is Dani’s home event and I am sure he will be looking for a third straight podium, while I know Kris is determined to finish this rally and I am sure with the pace he has shown, that he too will be in a strong position.”

Dani Sordo:

“This rally is obviously very special for me, as it is my home event. Many friends and fans will be there to watch. That is fun and gives me that extra motivation to get a good result. Since the organisers moved away from driving purely on gravel, the average speed of the rally has increased significantly. Despite this, you have to bear in mind that the weather in this part of Spain can be very variable when the rally is held at the end of October. If it stays dry you can be very quick. If it rains, the speed may drop but you have to remain just as focused, as the surface becomes very slippery.”

Kris Meeke :

“I am looking forward to this rally, especially as it is also a home event for Dani. He is always extremely quick there. The organisers’ decision in 2010 to no longer run the event on the traditional tarmac when the WRC regulations were changed is good for me, as I like gravel stages. I have a lot to learn as the last time I was there was in 2005 in the JWRC and so it is more or less a new event for me so I shall make completely new notes. As it takes place at the end of October, the weather can also play a major role. When it rains, the surface quickly becomes slippery. If it remains dry, you can be very quick here.”

History and Background:

In 2005 the Spanish WRC event moved from the Costa Brava to the Costa Daurada, and its base is now the seaside resort of Salou, with the PortAventura theme park being the location for the permanent service park on an event which has no remote service.

It was in 2010 that the organisers decided to use mixed surfaces on this event, so there is an extra challenge for the crews with some stages being a mixture of both gravel and tarmac. However, this didn’t stop the Sébastien Loeb (FR) steamroller as he won his fifth event in Spain last year.

After a ceremonial start on Thursday at 20.00 the action starts on Friday with the cars leaving the PortAventura service park in Salou at 07.00. There are six stages on day one with stages one and four gravel and two, three, five and six a mixture of gravel and tarmac. The stage mileage the drivers will cover before heading back to Salou, where parc fermé in is 21.53 is 160.36 kilometres. Day two is just tarmac and starts from Salou at 08.30. There are another six stages with numbers seven and ten being the longest of the rally at 45.97 kilometres. The total stage distance before the overnight halt at 18.21 is 143.54 kilometres. On the final day, which is again only tarmac, the cars leave parc fermé at 06.00 and compete on another six stages over 102.62 kilometres before heading back to Salou, where the first car is due in parc fermé at 14.51. The total rally distance is 1589.90 kilometres with 406.52 kilometres being on stages.

[Source: BMW AG, Munich]

MINI WRC Team on pace to take second in France.

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Miniology’s continuous coverage of MINI WRC continues…

Strasbourg, 2nd October, 2011. Second for the MINI WRC Team in Rally France-Alsace is a result it is justifiably proud of on only its fourth event of the 2011 season. Dani Sordo (ES) and Carlos del Barrio (ES) took the fight down to the wire with just 6.3secs separating the number 37 MINI John Cooper Works WRC and the Citroen of Sébastien Ogier (FR) at the finish in Strasbourg this afternoon.At no point over the three days and 340 kilometres of competition did Sordo give up his fight for the lead he held going into day two. He started the final day 9.5secs behind the Citroen, and from the first of the six stages was trying to claw back the time. Tyre choice was critical, with the soft Michelins used by Sordo instantly proving the right choice. On the first stage of the day (SS18) Sordo took 3.1secs off Ogier to then be just 6.4secs down. This trend continued on SS19 on which Sordo was quickest, and reduced the gap to 4.9 secs. On SS20 it was honours even with them both posting the same time, however, on the re-run of the first stage Ogier was 11 seconds quicker than before, and Sordo lost a second to him. On the penultimate stage the gap was 6.7secs, and then on the Power Stage Sordo posted the second quickest time behind the Ford of Jari-Matti Latvala (FI). Unfortunately after the accident yesterday the number 52 MINI John Cooper Works WRC of Kris Meeke (GB) and Paul Nagle (IR) was not able to start the last day of the rally.

David Richards, Team Principal:

“Yesterday we could have so easily have settled for a secure second place but that’s not our style and I’m so proud that Dani was able to challenge for victory right to the end. On this occasion we will therefore celebrate a second place and give the entire team a big pat on the back, particularly Dani Sordo. He managed to keep the pressure on Sébastien Ogier throughout the entire rally, and he’s certainly laid down a marker for his home event in Spain.”

Dave Wilcock, Technical Director:

“Second is an absolutely stunning result for the MINI John Cooper Works WRC. Being just 6.3secs behind Sébastien Ogier clearly shows we were on the pace and, after our fourth rally, being in this position has made us all delighted. It’s been a stunning effort from the team, and especially the crew. Dani drove a faultless rally. He had no punctures, the Michelin tyres were absolutely perfect throughout and never once did we ever have any issues with tyre degradation. This morning we made a tactical decision to take the soft tyre option due to the damp and moist conditions, and knowing that the first stage, which was repeated, had two kilometres of gravel. It was completely the right choice. Then in the power stage to take two WRC drivers’ points and finish in front of Ogier was fantastic for MINI. This is a great position to be in going to Dani’s home event in Spain. We have a lot of work to do before then, but we shall be trying everything we can to repeat this performance there, if not make it a step higher on the podium!”

Dani Sordo:

“As you can imagine I am really, really happy to finish in second position. It is an incredible result for the team so thank you to them and also to Carlos who has been great all rally. I think no-one here expected this before the rally, but we were fighting for the victory and at the end were just 6.3 seconds behind Sébastien Ogier. When you set good stage times as we have here in France, you always enjoy it. Before our first event we did not expect to be doing so well so soon. I am very pleased to be going to my home event in Spain in this position. The car was set-up well here, so I am confident it will be the same in Spain.”

[Source: BMW Group PressClub Sport]

 

ADAC Rally Germany. 18th – 21st August. 9th of 13 rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship. Preview.

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[Source: BMW AG, Munich, 12th August, 2011.]

With two FIA World Championship Rallies behind it, the MINI WRC Team is now ready for its next test and that will be on the asphalt stages in next week’s ADAC Rally Germany. This will be the first WRC event of the year on this surface for not only Dani Sordo (ES) and Carlos del Barrio (ES) in the MINI John Cooper Works WRC number 37, and Kris Meeke (GB) and Paul Nagle (IR) in the number 52 car, but also the rest of the competitors in the championship.

The drivers have put in many kilometres of testing in readiness for this asphalt debut, and this is even continuing this weekend in the UK with the team competing on the Richard Burns Memorial Rally, at RAF Marham in Norfolk. Also contesting the event in Norfolk, in preparation for Germany, in a customer MINI John Cooper Works WRC is Pierre Campana (FR). The 26-year-old has just been given backing by the FFSA, the French motorsport federation. This means the driver from Corsica will be following in the footsteps of his two very famous rallying countrymen, Sebastien Loeb and Sebastien Ogier, who also received this support early on in their careers.

David Richards, Team Principal:

“We have high expectations going into Rally Germany. The MINI has shown a great deal of promise in recent tarmac tests in Germany and Italy and both drivers have told me how much confidence they have in the set up. Dani, in particular, very much likes this rally and I know that he and Kris have traded times on these stages in the past. Unlike Finland, where our number one priority was to get valuable competitive mileage on the car, in Germany we will be looking for both drivers to begin to demonstrate the true performance of the MINI.”

Dani Sordo:

“This is a rally I am really looking forward to. I like the stages in all three areas – the vineyards, the military training ground and the normal roads. It has lots of hairpins, which are very different to the tight corners we get in Spain. I always remember the military training area of Baumholder, as there are some very big rocks there so you have to be careful not to get punctures. I particularly enjoy driving in the vineyards as these roads are narrow and fast. The fans who come to watch us in their thousands are really nice. Obviously rallying is very popular in Germany, and so it will be good for us to have some ‘home’ support this year for the MINI.”

Kris Meeke:

“I think it is a fantastic rally. I have done it three times before, and all of these have been good experiences. The stages are demanding and, because of the different surfaces, it is more like three rallies in one. You have the vineyards, Baumholder and the Saarland region. The weather can also be very changeable there, so this is another challenge. The year I remember best was in 2005 in the junior category when I was fighting with Dani, and after three days with two stages to go we were just six seconds apart. Unfortunately I then had a puncture, but it was a fantastic battle. I also like the event because it is very popular with the fans. It is based in central Europe so it is easy for the spectators to get there. I know I shall have lots of support as many of my friends from home are heading there.”

History and Background:

This rally joined the WRC in 2002 and since then it has been won every year by the reigning world champion, Sebastien Loeb (FR). However, this rally actually started back in 1982 and then was based in Frankfurt am Main. Since then it has moved several times and has been at its current location of Trier, Germany’s oldest city based in the Mosel wine growing region, since 2000. It is the first asphalt rally of the 2011 season, but over the three days there are three different types of sealed surfaces for the stages. On Day 1 it is the vineyards, on Day 2 it is the normal roads in the Saarland region and the military training ground of Baumholder, where there are large boulders on the side of the roads and these are known as hinkelsteins, while Day 3 sees the crews returning to the vineyards and the Power Stage on Sunday afternoon is at the famous Circus Maximus in the centre of Trier.

The event’s ceremonial start is on Thursday, 18th August in Trier at Porta Nigra at 20.00. However, the competition doesn’t start until the next morning. The first car leaves the service park at 09.30 and the first of the day’s six stages is at 10.13. The first day of action is over 133.14 kilometres and the first car is due back at the service park at 18.18. Day two starts at 07.00 from Trier and after eight stages, covering 150.14 kilometres, returns to service at 20.17. Then for the third and final day of action the start is at 07.00 and then there are five stages over 76.31 kilometres before the cars are due into service from 14.29, with the podium ceremony at 16.45. The rally was the longest last year in the WRC in terms of competitive mileage and this year there are 359.59 kilometres in a total route of 1,245.96 kilometres.

ADAC Rally Germany. 18th – 21st August. 9th of 13 rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship. Preview.

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[Source: BMW AG, Munich, 12th August, 2011]

With two FIA World Championship Rallies behind it, the MINI WRC Team is now ready for its next test and that will be on the asphalt stages in next week’s ADAC Rally Germany. This will be the first WRC event of the year on this surface for not only Dani Sordo (ES) and Carlos del Barrio (ES) in the MINI John Cooper Works WRC number 37, and Kris Meeke (GB) and Paul Nagle (IR) in the number 52 car, but also the rest of the competitors in the championship.

The drivers have put in many kilometres of testing in readiness for this asphalt debut, and this is even continuing this weekend in the UK with the team competing on the Richard Burns Memorial Rally, at RAF Marham in Norfolk. Also contesting the event in Norfolk, in preparation for Germany, in a customer MINI John Cooper Works WRC is Pierre Campana (FR). The 26-year-old has just been given backing by the FFSA, the French motorsport federation. This means the driver from Corsica will be following in the footsteps of his two very famous rallying countrymen, Sebastien Loeb and Sebastien Ogier, who also received this support early on in their careers.

David Richards, Team Principal:

“We have high expectations going into Rally Germany. The MINI has shown a great deal of promise in recent tarmac tests in Germany and Italy and both drivers have told me how much confidence they have in the set up. Dani, in particular, very much likes this rally and I know that he and Kris have traded times on these stages in the past. Unlike Finland, where our number one priority was to get valuable competitive mileage on the car, in Germany we will be looking for both drivers to begin to demonstrate the true performance of the MINI.”

Dani Sordo:

“This is a rally I am really looking forward to. I like the stages in all three areas – the vineyards, the military training ground and the normal roads. It has lots of hairpins, which are very different to the tight corners we get in Spain. I always remember the military training area of Baumholder, as there are some very big rocks there so you have to be careful not to get punctures. I particularly enjoy driving in the vineyards as these roads are narrow and fast. The fans who come to watch us in their thousands are really nice. Obviously rallying is very popular in Germany, and so it will be good for us to have some ‘home’ support this year for the MINI.”

Kris Meeke:

“I think it is a fantastic rally. I have done it three times before, and all of these have been good experiences. The stages are demanding and, because of the different surfaces, it is more like three rallies in one. You have the vineyards, Baumholder and the Saarland region. The weather can also be very changeable there, so this is another challenge. The year I remember best was in 2005 in the junior category when I was fighting with Dani, and after three days with two stages to go we were just six seconds apart. Unfortunately I then had a puncture, but it was a fantastic battle. I also like the event because it is very popular with the fans. It is based in central Europe so it is easy for the spectators to get there. I know I shall have lots of support as many of my friends from home are heading there.”

History and Background:
This rally joined the WRC in 2002 and since then it has been won every year by the reigning world champion, Sebastien Loeb (FR). However, this rally actually started back in 1982 and then was based in Frankfurt am Main. Since then it has moved several times and has been at its current location of Trier, Germany’s oldest city based in the Mosel wine growing region, since 2000. It is the first asphalt rally of the 2011 season, but over the three days there are three different types of sealed surfaces for the stages. On Day 1 it is the vineyards, on Day 2 it is the normal roads in the Saarland region and the military training ground of Baumholder, where there are large boulders on the side of the roads and these are known as hinkelsteins, while Day 3 sees the crews returning to the vineyards and the Power Stage on Sunday afternoon is at the famous Circus Maximus in the centre of Trier.

The event’s ceremonial start is on Thursday, 18th August in Trier at Porta Nigra at 20.00. However, the competition doesn’t start until the next morning. The first car leaves the service park at 09.30 and the first of the day’s six stages is at 10.13. The first day of action is over 133.14 kilometres and the first car is due back at the service park at 18.18. Day two starts at 07.00 from Trier and after eight stages, covering 150.14 kilometres, returns to service at 20.17. Then for the third and final day of action the start is at 07.00 and then there are five stages over 76.31 kilometres before the cars are due into service from 14.29, with the podium ceremony at 16.45. The rally was the longest last year in the WRC in terms of competitive mileage and this year there are 359.59 kilometres in a total route of 1,245.96 kilometres.

FULLY CHARGED: MINI PUBLISHES RESULTS OF UK’S MOST IN-DEPTH ELECTRIC VEHICLE TRIAL

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Full results of BMW Group’s government-supported research into the day-to-day running of electric cars revealed.

Over 250,000 miles driven on UK roads.
Average cost to charge less than 2p per mile.
Average daily distance driven 29.7 miles.
Virtually all recharging carried out at home.
Almost all participants said they’d consider buying an electric car as a result of taking part.

Understanding how electric cars are driven in the real world has taken an important step forward with the release of data from the MINI E field trial in the UK. With 62 members of the public and 76 pool users running the battery-powered hatchbacks over two six-month periods, the Government-supported trial is the most in-depth of its kind in the UK to publish its findings.

An enormous amount of data was collected electronically by data-loggers in the car and the home charging points, and also from extensive driver research carried out by Oxford Brookes University. The early findings have already informed the development of the 2011 BMW ActiveE car, a four-seat car based on the BMW 1 Series Coupe, but the biggest beneficiary will be the BMW i3, the first purpose-built EV from the BMW Group, set for launch in 2013. This information has also helped to inform UK policy-making decisions and other EV market stakeholders.

The UK trial discovered that everyday use of the electric MINIs didn’t radically differ from the typical driving patterns of a control group of drivers of conventionally powered cars in the same segment. In fact, the daily journey distance of 29.7 miles was slightly more than the 26.5 miles recorded by the control cars, a mix of MINI Coopers and BMW 116i models. Interestingly, the UK average daily distance driven for private cars overall is less than 25 miles. With information gathered by on-board data-loggers, the average single trip distance was recorded as 9.5 miles compared to the UK average of seven miles.

Four out of five people reported that 80 percent of their trips could be done exclusively in the MINI E, and this increased to 90 per cent of users saying that with the addition of rear seats and a bigger boot, all their trips could have been done in the MINI E. 84 percent said that severe the severe low temperatures during both phases of the field trial affected the distance that could be driven between charges, but despite that, four out of five participants told the researchers they thought the MINI E was suitable for winter use, with one user, Janet Borgers, saying she “regularly did 88 miles in a single journey in the cold weather”. Another female commuter clocked up almost 8,000 miles over a September to March period.

Given the daily driven distance of just under 30 miles, the drivers felt confident enough not to have to charge their MINI E every night. In fact, the average was 2.9 times a week according to information fed back via electricity smart meters, with special night-time tariffs successfully encouraging individual drivers to charge when it was cheapest, which coincided with a low demand period and a greater proportion of renewable energy in the grid mix.

Nine out of ten drivers told the researchers that charging actually suited their daily routine, with 81 percent agreeing with the statement “I prefer to plug in the car than go to a fuel station”. The running cost-savings were appreciated by users, with one participant telling researchers the thing she’d miss most was: “the money I will have to start paying for fuel again!”

Most charged at home, with 82 percent using their wall-mounted charging box 90 percent of the time. The lack of a comprehensive public charging infrastructure in the UK was noted, with four out of five participants (82 percent) saying they thought that it was “essential” that a network of charging points was established. However, almost three quarters (72 percent) said they were able to use their car perfectly adequately right now as they had access to private charging.

Asked about their driving experience, the trial participants were full of praise. Every single one enjoyed the quietness, with one user quoted as saying: “I like the silence – it’s very futuristic and it causes a reaction when people notice you pull away without making a sound.” And they all agreed with the statement: “electric vehicles are fun to drive.” The reason was partly down to the “fast pick-up and quick acceleration” of the 204hp MINI, again a statement that 100 percent agreed with. One even went so far to say it was “absolutely the best car I have ever driven”.

Driving efficiently to extend the range was seen as part of the enjoyment rather than a chore. Understanding that use of the regenerative braking could increase the range by approximately 15 percent, three quarters of the users (74 percent) agreed with the statement that it was “a game for me to use the regenerative braking in a way that enables me to reach my destination without draining the battery.”

Asked by the Oxford Brookes University researchers for suggestions to deal with the potential danger from the low noise at low speeds, over half (56 percent) said that instead of an artificial noise, the driver should pay more attention. However just over a quarter (28 per cent) said they’d like to have a warning noise below 12.5mph.

Almost all participants (96 per cent) said they’d consider buying an electric car as a result of taking part, and half (51 percent) revealed they would pay a third more for an EV. A third (30 percent) said they’d consider taking the plunge within a year, while 55 percent said they’d hold fire for two or more years.

The trial found that one week was all that was needed for customers to adapt to the characteristics and peculiarities of driving an EV, such as charging, range, regenerative braking and low noise. However those company car drivers invited to use the MINI E as a pool car on a less frequent basis needed increased training and support during the initial period of vehicle use in order to consolidate their learning.

Fleet use was a big part of the trial with organisations in the UK and in Europe reporting positive feedback from both individual drivers and also fleet managers monitoring the MINI E’s use as a pool car. Those users who swapped out of their regular car reported that the MINI E was fine for 70 percent of journeys made during the working day, while the pool car success rate was even better with between 80-90 percent of regular trips achievable.

The speed of charging was an important consideration for fleet users, while managers also flagged up the need for a clear procedure for the efficient charging of pool vehicles. Companies that participated included Scottish and Southern Energy, Oxfordshire County Council, and Oxford City Council.

The MINI E trial was one of eight UK projects supported by the £25m Ultra Low Carbon Vehicle Demonstrator Programme, funded by the Technology Strategy Board and Department for Transport. These are aimed at bringing forward the introduction of viable electric passenger vehicles to the UK.

Suzanne Gray, General Manager of BMW i said: “The feedback from the trial has been invaluable in helping our understanding of how people really respond to electric cars and other factors necessary to support electric car drivers. With this information we will be in a strong position to provide a well-rounded product and service proposition to customers of the BMW i3 and to work with other players in the electric vehicle market to make it a successful experience for a new generation of users.”

Kulveer Ranger, Mayor of London’s environment director, said: ‘Electric driving technology is coming on leaps and bounds, but people naturally still have questions and concerns. Research such as this by BMW Group into real life experiences is invaluable as it debunks some common myths and underscores why electric vehicles are perfect for urban driving. The trial has also demonstrated the importance attached to supporting infrastructure, which is why the Mayor of London has launched Source London to provide a network of charge points that will help to create optimal conditions for electric vehicle use in the UK’s capital.’

The MINI E Trial in numbers:

  • 40 MINI Es
    12 Months
    138 Drivers (32 women 106 men)
    258,105 Miles
    33,345 Journeys
    80,282 kWh Electricity
    Highest mileage by an individual driver over six months – 7954 miles
    Average mileage per vehicle over six months, including fleet pool cars – 3226
    Average cost to charge over six months – £60, less than 2p per mile

Rauno Aaltonen supports MINI WRC Team on his home rally

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Neste Oil Rally Finland
28th – 30th July
8th of 13 rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship

Rauno Aaltonen supports MINI WRC Team on his home rally.

Jyvaskala , 30th July, 2011. With the World Rally Championship visiting his home turf, it would have been inconceivable that Rauno Aaltonen would not be on the Neste Oil Rally Finland to give support to the next generation of MINI drivers. He was there to repay the compliment after Dani Sordo (ES) and Kris Meeke (GB) went to see him on the Historic Monte Carlo Rally in January.

A very happy Aaltonen explained his role with MINI: “As a representative of MINI I have the honour to be here for both the road going MINI for the normal people and, as you know the rally people are not quite normal, so for them we have this MINI John Cooper Works WRC car. I think this is fantastic as in Finland the word MINI is synonymous with the word winning, and now, of course, the whole of Finland is expecting the MINI to win. However, we have to be realistic and understand that no car has ever won a world championship rally during its first year. I think we are doing very well indeed and the spectators say it is so nice and it is going well and they are all very pleased.”

Aaltonen has spent the three days of the rally both in and around the event’s headquarters in the central Finnish town of Jyväskylä, and in the Lahti region for Saturday’s remote service. He is no stranger to the rally as when he was rallying a Mini in the sixties he has been on the podium on this event that was then known as the Rally of the 1000 Lakes.

His packed schedule has included wishing the two MINI WRC Team crews – Sordo and Carlos del Barrio (ES) with their no 37 MINI John Cooper Works WRC and Meeke and Paul Nagle (IR) in no 52 – good luck when they left the service park each morning. He has also featured on tv and radio as a real expert on everything about MINI in rallying and the sport in Finland. Today he presented a MINI Countryman to two of his fellow Finns, Arttu Pihlainen, the world’s fastest downhill skater who won the Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship, and Peetu Piiroinen, a successful snowboarder who won the Burton Global Open Series. They won these cars, which were given by BMW Suomi Oy, in races last winter and both have been customised according to the winners’ designs.

Rauno Aaltonen was born in Finland in 1938 and started his rallying career in 1956. In a long and illustrious career he has been famous for not only winning the European Rally Championship in a Mini Cooper S in 1965, but also going on to win the third Monte Carlo Rally victory with the car. The first win on this famous event for the team was in 1964 for Paddy Hopkirk (GB), then the next year it was Timo Mäkinen (FI) and Aaltonen’s win came in 1967. They were known as the ‘Three Musketeers’ and Aaltoen the ‘Rally Professor’.

New Jersey PD Adds Mini To Patrol Fleet

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We’ve seen plenty of special police cars in the past, including a Lamborghini Gallardo, Porsche 911 and even an impounded Dodge Viper, but the latest is just too cute to ignore. BMW has this week presented the Woodcliff Lake police department in New Jersey with a brand new MINI Cooper.

The car is emblazoned with the message ‘DON’T TXT & DRIVE’, highlighting a local initiative to stop drivers using their mobile phones while behind the wheel.

“This vehicle drives home a critical point,” said Woodcliff Lake police chief Anthony Jannicelli. “A driver taking his eyes off the road for five seconds at 60 mph to just read a text message travels the length of football field essentially with his eyes closed.”

No other major modifications have been made to the car. It will essentially be used to drive home the message, carrying it wherever it goes and acting as a powerful reminder of what is certainly a serious issue.

SoCal Mini Maniacs Slate Car Show

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SCMM’s 4th Annual ALL-MINI/Mini Car Show

Time:
Saturday, June 11 · 8:00am – 12:30pm

Location:
Enderle Center, 17th St & Yorba, Tustin

When:
June 11th– 8 a.m. til 12:30 p.m.

Where:
Enderle Center, 17th St & Yorba, Tustin

It’s that time again…..give your MINI its spring detailing and plan to attend!

Once again it will be a $10 per car entry fee….which goes 1/2 to our chosen charity and 1/2 to our club treasury. This year’s charity is very close to home — through the Talbert Family Foundation, we will be supporting Elijah’s Fund. Elijah is the three-year-old son of SCMM members Brad and Karin Herman. Elijah is battling Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. You can read more about Elijah here: http://www.talbertfamilyfoundation.org/pages/Elijah.html

We’ll have vendors there as well showing off and selling their wares.

The past two shows have topped 100 MINIs and we’re out to do it again………

This event will obviously replace our Rubys breakfast but have no fear. There will be coffee from the local Enderle “Coffee Grinder” and sweets. There are also a few restaurants in the center serving breakfast.

Come and join a fun gathering of fellow Maniacs…..whether your car be young or old,…..stock or tricked out,….as long as it’s a MINI/Mini that responds to a cleaning.