The Independent American Magazine for all Mini Owners
Issue link: http://mc2.epubxp.com/i/33537
MINI teams with Rally Legends at Brighton to London Challenge wrote an article for us on the A-series engine ally legends Paddy Hopkirk and David Richards went head-to-head driving MINIs at the RAC Brighton to London Future Car Challenge recently. The inaugural RAC Brighton to London Future Car Chal- lenge showcased the latest electric, hybrid and low-emission passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. Royal Automobile Club trophies were to be awarded in different categories for the most energy efficient vehicles that have completed the 60-mile Brigh- ton to London run starting in Brighton at 8am. Former British and World Rally in Issue 25 (see, The Magnificent A-Series En- gine, pg 50). Graham is currently furiously writing his book on the famous engine, even as this is being written. We’re not sure exactly when the A-Series book will debut, but if you contact Haynes Publishing, they should be able to tell you. We do know that Graham always delivers some interesting reading. A MINI Pickup? ow that the Countryman is busy arriving at dealerships around the country, it would seem that the design and engineering chaps at MINI have some time on their hands. Over the past couple of years, we’ve heard rumors that a MINI pickup was on the drawing boards. This news, of course, has yet to be officially confirmed, but we do know that MINI is toying with the idea. What platform the pickup might be based upon is anybody’s guess, and we’d have to say that the Countryman, at this point, would be the best bet. However, we did hear that a drawing or two of a Clubman-based pick up was known to exist. The two vehicles shown here are mockups that were done for us by a 1964 Monte Carlo Rally Winner, Paddy Hopkirk Champion, Paddy Hopkirk, drove to victory in the Mini Cooper in the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally. On Saturday, November 6th, Paddy was back behind the wheel of a MINI – this time a MINI Cooper D – the brand’s most efficient model, emitting just 99g/km CO2 and achieving an impressive 74.3 mpg (on the combined cycle). Prodrive boss, David Richards CBE, drove MINI’s 100-percent electric powered MINI E. As well as being a former British and World Rally Cham- pion, David Richards is today best known for his more recent successes in motorsport. His latest venture will see MINI returning to the World Rally Championship with the latest model – the MINI Countryman in 2011. Mini History Documented e get a lot of letters and emails from MC2 readers telling us how much they like reading about the classic Minis in our Mini Heritage Section. Many of these missives come from owners of the original best small car ever built, but quite a number of them are from the owners of new MINIs, as well. It seems that there is a lot of interest out there in Mini history and lore, and we are happy to bring you car features and historical pieces on this most famous of automobiles. Luckily, we have Graham Robson on staff to write the stories of the hal- cyon days of the Mini. Graham is officially this magazine’s Senior European Correspondent, but in fact, he functions more as the staff historian than anything else. Graham has been a motoring writer since the 1950s and is one of the more prolific automotive authors in the UK. He has more than 50 titles under his belt; quite a few of them are about Mini. His most recent work on our favorite machine is: “Mini – A celebration of Britain’s best-loved small car.” The book, published by Haynes Publishing (www.haynes.co.uk), is now in its second printing and if you want to know the ins and outs of the Mini story, I strongly recommend that you buy one. It is a purchase that you will not regret. Recently, Graham gave us a taste of his next Mini-related book, when he 18 www.mc2magazine.com the tailgate treatment on the drawing! This is not real news, of course, but it is food for thought. One thing is sure, and that is that MINI’s Beachcomber Concept showed the automotive world that the designers in Germany are not afraid to look at any idea that will further the MINI mystique and help to grow the brand. Stay tuned… friend in the know, who is not directly connected with MINI. However, they do give an idea of what a Clubman-based pickup might look like. We really like R W N