AUSmotive.com

One tank of diesel, 161 laps and a touch over 1000km. That was the challenge created by Tarmac magazine and put to MINI Australia and its Cooper D. What’s even more amazing is that this challenge was conquered! A pretty amazing stat, too, 1000kms around Mount Panorama—Australia’s most famous racetrack—on 40 litres of fuel.

Two drivers shared stints behind the wheel across a big day that began early in the morning and finished some 17 hours later. During that time the car only stopped for driver changes. The Dooper’s stop-start function ensured no fuel was wasted while the car was “idling” in pit lane.

A few parameters were put on the crew to ensure the challenge could be met. The first being the most obvious, the 60km/h speed limit—it won’t be long until the Mountain is closed and V8s are thundering around for the annual Supercar enduro, until then, though, the track is a public road and as such all speed limits apply. Keeping speed down is one way to save fuel, keeping revs down is another. For the duration of the challenge the goal was to keep revs below 2500rpm. Lucky, then, that the MINI has great road holding abilities which meant the 60km/h speed limit could be held as long as possible through some of the tighter corners around the 6.2km track.

Pretty cool, huh. You can read all about it in the next issue of Tarmac.

Of course, those of you with a good memory will know that Mini has a strong history at Mount Panorama with another amazing stat in its books. In the 1966 Gallaher 500 (that’s miles, remember) the first nine places were filled by the Mini Cooper S. Nine places! I told you it was another amazing stat!