X-Raid present at the Dakar with two new Mini John Cooper Works Rally Plus

X-Raid presented its new weapon to take on the 2023 Dakar, in Saudi Arabia from December 31 to January 15. The German private team will use the new Mini John Cooper Works Rally Plus, in the T1+ category. Two cars will be entered, with the #203 crew of Jakub Przygonski  and Armand Monleon, and the #212 crew with Sebastian Halpern and Bernardo Graue.

The Mini JCW Rally Plus runs on second generation HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) fuel. This biodiesel is made from used vegetable fats and plastic bottles, for example. The Mini JCW Rally Plus is based on its four-wheel drive predecessor and therefore retains the typical Mini appearance in many areas. Notable exterior changes are the longer front end and wider fenders. 

“Sustainability is clearly at the forefront of our future Mini JCW Rally Plus project, said Sven Quandt, owner of Team X-Raid. In the future, motorsport will have to get used to the fact that without sustainability there will be no motorsport. In this regard, it was clearly a matter of the heart for us that we operate the Mini more sustainably. (…) HVO fuel is an important complement to other low-emission powertrains – and not just in motorsport. The Dakar offers a very good platform to test this fuel and raise awareness. »

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