Rally legends Paddy Hopkirk and David Richards will go head to head driving MINIs at the RAC Brighton to London Future Car Challenge this weekend. The inaugural RAC Brighton to London Future Car Challenge will showcase to the latest electric, hybrid and low-emission passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. Royal Automobile Club trophies will be awarded in different categories for the most energy efficient vehicles that have completed the 60-mile Brighton to London run starting in Brighton at 8am. These future cars will be on display in Regent Street from 12.30am till 4pm.
Former British and World Rally Champion, Paddy Hopkirk, drove to victory in the Mini Cooper in the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally. On Saturday 6th November Paddy will be 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, will drive MINI-s 100% electric powered car – MINI E. As well as being a former British and World Rally Champion, 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.
Paddy and David will drive the differently powered MINIs in a 60-mile challenge. Each will be trying to be the most efficient in terms of energy used by their respective cars.
David Richards said “The MINI E is an incredible car and this event will highlight its amazing versatility. I am really looking forward to the event and competing against Paddy to see who can be most efficient. However, I will have to dampen down my competitive spirit, as will Paddy, to ensure we get the most miles out of the MINIs to take the trophy in each of our classes.”
The BMW Group is one of the most successful manufacturers of automobiles and motorcycles in the world with its BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 24 production facilities in 13 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
The BMW Group achieved a global sales volume of approximately 1.29 million automobiles and over 87,000 motorcycles for the 2009 financial year. Revenues totalled euro 50.68 billion. At 31 December 2009, the company employed a global workforce of approximately 96,000 associates.
The success of the BMW Group has always been built on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy. As a result of its efforts, the BMW Group has been ranked industry leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes for the last six years.