MINIS are GREAT – A Super Family Day Out

Midnight Friday 10th May the Emerging Europe GREAT Mini arrives under the cover of night to Warsaw branded up and raring to go. Saturday 11th May, bright and early, on the road to an airstrip somewhere in the wilds outside Dęblin. A mini Silverstone, well a great little airstrip where 25 of its friends all produced in Cowley had gathered for a Mini Polska DRIVE Event.

The Mini is a new and rapidly growing phenomenon in Poland and its one we’re actively supporting. In its current format launched only a few years ago the family is rapidly growing up – 777 sold last year – a target of well over 1000 this year. There is a Mini for everyone in the family- from the Mini One, a Clubman, a Countryman, the new Paceman or a stonking gokart rammed full of grunt with nice seats, the iconic John Cooper Works – 208 horsepower crammed in under the bonnet and ready to take out a Porsche off the lights. It’s also quite good for dropping the kids off to school.

A superlative day of Mini fun, driving skills and safety. The programme was organised to really show off Mini at its best – rough terrain at its hardest; skid school; time trial; a super parking school and most importantly a safe driving element plus First Aid at the scene of an accident. There were cabrios, four wheel drives, fellow Countrymen, Clubmen and an exciting Mini Scalectrix just for the kids, well apart from the fact parents who were competing in the Mini Drive Series had to do a time trial.

Now, what was the best car on the day? An extremely difficult question given the fact that there is a Mini for different moods, families and ambition. For me the best was the Mini John Cooper Works GP – a limited edition (2000 only manufactured) of roaring 220 Horsepower beasts – but I am a bit of a petrol head. For the more elegant the glitzy Cabrio; for the all terrain driver the 4/4 new Paceman. For visual appearance the guest of the day was undoubtedly a blue, red and white GREAT Mini which attracted much attention, had a lot of photos taken and was on hand to emphasize the tradition and heritage of the GREAT British Mini.

Minis are GREAT. Britain is GREAT. Watch out for the next GREAT Mini Drive!