GRR

Video: Rallying a Mini Cooper is more violent than boxing

27th February 2023
Ben Miles

Sweet Lamb is a pretty famous rally stage. A short, rather sweet attack of a brilliant little section of gravel tracks around mid Wales. Attacking them in a full spec WRC car looks like a task, taking them on in an original 1964 Mini Cooper S looks like a blood sport.

But, that’s what people do. The support of the main Rally GB is often a large amount of classic rally cars attacking the exact same stages, and if anything it can be even better.

Here we ride with Clive King and Anton Bird in their little Mini, a car that seems on the face of it to be suited to rallying in no way whatsoever. But, that won’t stop our intrepid pair, who attack the Sweet Lamb stage with absolute abandon. Watching this it is very hard to believe that a Mini won the Monte Carlo Rally, but then that was a tarmac event.

Taking an original Mini off road it turns out seems to be far more violent on the occupants than the car. King and Bird seem to be tossed around the stages like they’ve been for eight rounds with Tyson Fury. You can only imagine how much they must have ached the next day, especially when you see the jump at about three minutes in.

It is a full on, no holds barred attack for which we should only applaud those willing to take part, and wonder just how we get a go.

Welcome to Goodwood Elevenses, a mid-morning helping of motoring-related amusement to help break up your day. Watch the last video: Lewis Hamilton gets his first taste of the Mercedes W14

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