Mini headed to North Pole to meet Santa Claus
Wed, 07 Nov 2012
Mini has assembled teams of vehicles from 16 countries consisting of all of its current models to drive the almost 1,900 miles. Although it won't be a part of the convoy, the Mini Paceman will be in Rovaniemi to welcome the groups along with former rally driver Rauno Aaltonen who will "demonstrate his unequalled talent" while driving the Paceman. We're not exactly sure what this means, but snowy climates and rally drivers always seem to be a recipe for great entertainment to us.
Scroll down for Mini's press release, but we'll have to wait until later in the month to see what should be some pretty cool pictures of the trip.
MINI GOES TO SANTA CLAUS.
THE MINI FAMILY WILL BE OFF TO THE ARCTIC CIRCLE TO VISIT SANTA CLAUS AND MAKE A RECORD-SETTING DELIVERY.
Woodcliff Lake, NJ – November 6, 2012... MINI presents "MINI Goes to Santa Claus", an international project that perfectly embodies its unconventional nature, and for the first time, it will be competing for the Official Guinness World Records challenge.
MINI and Guinness World Records.
A convoy of MINIs will be travelling to Rovaniemi located at the Arctic Circle to bring Santa Claus Christmas letters written by children and adults from all over the world. At the same time, MINI will be competing for the Official Guinness World Records attempt by trying to assemble the longest wish list to Santa Claus. In order to set this world record, MINI has involved a total of 16 markets, spanning enough countries to amaze even Santa Claus himself, who certainly knows a lot about world tours.
The EU markets participating in this project are Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, Poland, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. Outside Europe, Russia, the United States of America and Singapore will be joining the event.
On the road to the Arctic Circle.
On Saturday 24th November, the MINI family will leave BMW Group Headquarters in Munich and drive "one way" to Rovaniemi. The journey will cover more than 3000 km, passing through some of the most beautiful European cities such as Copenhagen and Stockholm.
The MINI family.
The MINIs participating in this road trip are the MINI Clubman with its typically generous cargo capacity, the MINI Countryman with its excellent off-road qualities, the MINI Hatchback, the master of go-kart feeling, the MINI Coupe with its superior driving dynamics, the MINI Roadster for maximum driving fun and the MINI Cabrio, which offers that genuine topless experience.
The new MINI Paceman.
The new MINI Paceman, the latest addition to the MINI family will welcome the MINIs as they arrive at Rovaniemi. With its strong personality, the MINI Paceman offers an innovative combination of sporty and extroverted design. It is the first Sports Activity Coupe in the compact premium segment and boasts an unmistakable character. The MINI Paceman is the seventh model in the MINI family.
A very special guest at the event: Rauno Aaltonen.
Another very special guest will be awaiting the MINIs when they arrive: Rauno Aaltonen, the winner of the history-making 1967 Monte Carlo Rally aboard a classic Mini. At the Arctic Circle, Rauno will demonstrate his unequalled talent behind the wheel of a new MINI Paceman.
MINI in the US
MINI is an independent brand of the BMW Group. In the United States, MINI USA operates as a business unit of BMW of North America, LLC, located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey and includes the marketing and sales organizations for the MINI brand. The MINI USA sales organization is represented in the U.S. through a network of 115 MINI passenger car dealers in 38 states. MINI USA began selling vehicles in the U.S. in 2002 with the introduction of the MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S Hardtops. Since then, the MINI Brand in the U.S. has grown to encompass a model range of six unique vehicles.
By Jeffrey N. Ross
See also: 2013 Mini Countryman gets updates, 2013 Mini John Cooper Works GP will start at $39,950*, Mini exiting WRC after just one year.