Tuesday 21st November 2017

MINI and X-raid unveil JCW Buggy

A rear-drive, 340hp buggy - to the Dakar!

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With four overall victories between 2012 and 2015, MINI has decided to somewhat up the ante for this year by entering not one but two vehicles. As usual, the all-wheel Drive, Countryman-based, MINI JCW Rally will be taking part in the gruelling 5,500 mile event - but this year it'll be joined on the journey by a new, rear-wheel drive, MINI JCW Buggy.

Working with the German X-raid Team on the project, MINI believes that the specifics of the current Dakar rules give two-wheel driven vehicles "certain advantages" - advantages which they will now benefit from. Though with a 3.0-litre turbo diesel putting out 340hp and up to 590lb ft of torque, you don't need to read between the lines to see just how rapid the JCW Buggy is likely to be.

And with a specially designed tubular steel frame and an aerodynamically optimised, carbon fibre reinforced plastic and Kevlar body, it should be as light as it is strong. Having completed a wide-ranging and intensive test programme in countries from Hungary to Morocco, according to Team Manager Sven Quandt the Buggy, "never had to stop once due to a technical problem, which is really quite remarkable." Remarkable indeed. And a fairly good sign of its chances in next year's competition.

The 2018 Dakar will comprise extended desert stages, rock and boulder fields, and tarmac roads taking the cars up to Andean altitudes of as much as 4,000m. It begins on January 6th in the Peruvian capital Lima, with the final stage coming two weeks later on January 20th in Córdoba, Argentina. We look forward to seeing how both of MINI's creations - and everyone else for that matter - get on in the 40th running of the world-famous rally.

[blearyeyedboy]

When I see derivatives like this that don't seem very "Mini", I'm reminded of the early BMW Mini adverts about being beware of fake Minis.

The one with a picture of a red bus with chequered roof and white stripes springs to mind...

This may be impressive for many reasons. But it's about as far removed from a Mini as it's possible to get without shoving a Mini brand nose and badge onto an ocean-going liner.