From 5th to 18th January 2014, MINI will line up with the MINI ALL4 Racing at the Rally Dakar. In 2012 and 2013 MINI was the car to beat at the toughest marathon rally in the world. Frenchman Stéphane Peterhansel won the last two editions of the Dakar at the wheel of a MINI ALL4 Racing run by the Trebur-based X-raid Team (DE).
“The 2012 Dakar victory of the MINI ALL4 Racing certainly came as a surprise to many, “ says Jochen Goller, Senior Vice President MINI. “But its title defense in 2013 proved that the initial victory was no coincidence. The 2014 Dakar will be another great challenge which the MINI brand gladly accepts.“ In 2014, Peterhansel is out to complete a hat-trick of titles for MINI and the X-raid Team.
“Ever since its invention has the MINI been intrinsically associated with motorsport and rallying thanks to several victories in the prestigious Montecarlo Rally,” Goller says. Excitement and energy have always been core values of the MINI brand. These values fit with those involved in motorsports and are consistent with the image of the Dakar.”
The 36th Rally Dakar is already seen as the toughest since the event moved from Africa to the South American continent in 2009. This time around, the competitors must master a route of over 9,000 kilometres. “The X-raid Team has prepared meticulously for what is undoubtedly a major challenge for both man and machine”, says Goller. “With the MINI ALL4 Racing the team employs a vehicle that has successfully shown its character in international long-distance events. Reliability, endurance and agility are the character traits of the MINI ALL4 Racing. Character traits that are required to be successful when competing in the Rally Dakar.“
