MINI in the Dakar ? .. well kinda...
Monster Energy has partnered up with the X-Raid Team to bring a diesel-powered Mini Countryman to the sands of South America. The reworked Countryman has a few shake-down runs in France on December 13 and 14.
Well why do I say "Kinda"
The team will be using a turbo-diesel engine borrowed from the BMW X3CC, With 315 horsepower and 523 pound-feet of torque, the engine brings a substantial bump in power to the table while using the same architecture as the lump found in the 2010 X3CC.

Switching to the Countryman has a number of benefits, including better handling from the vehicle's lower center of gravity and shorter wheelbase, though the team says that ingress and egress (approach angle due to height and proximity of wheels to front bumper, and the same issue on the rear) is a little more complicated compared to the BMW.

 

WOW that would be so cool if they do make it! that picture there looks cool aready!

 

I hear this and can only think of a street r60 with a big diesel engine :D

 

Before you get too excited, remember that there is nothing Mini about this car at all, except the styling of the cosmetic body panels that have been fitted to last year's BMW racer - which at least did have the basic engine from the BMW X3 that it borrowed its styling from. But, for example, the engine is inside the passenger compartment between the front seats, so that's not a design feature of any BMW or Mini...

 

Lol wow really? I had no idea these were purpose built cars, I thought they were just really beefed up like the WRC stuff.

Sad, I'd love to see that engine in a real Countryman

 

My local Mini forum has this superb vid - at the beginning the Dakar racer passes a real Countryman which shows just how much difference there is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUR07XXAM3g

(So why doesn't that display as a viewer?)

 

Yes .. very little to do with MINI ..
But way cool.
here is a neat side by side

 

The Dakar "MINI" Countryman is basically an overgrown fiberglass "replica" of the Countryman. The VW people did the samething with the Touareg when it went to Dakar - the vehicle only "looked" like the original but in fact was nothing like it!

 

Yup this is a BMW .
really VERY little is MINI !

 

Concerning the DAKAR, will the Outdoor Channel still be covering it on a

one day delayed basis? They have for the last several years.

 

Can't find it on the web site.

 

I spend a lot of time on
http://www.dakar.com/index_DAKus.html

Sign up for the virtual race and see how you do ...

 

The official site says

"USA & Canada - Versus TV, OLN"

 

DVR set.

Half hour highlight show on Versus starts January 3rd.