Jag såg detta på TotalMINI - notera att de även får bese Coupé och Roadster :D 8)
När provkörningen är genomförd så lägger jag upp reportaget här, kanske också med lite bilder ;)
"Yes it's true! I can hardly believe it myself!
Along with a select few people who have the MINI Countryman on order, and those who have expressed a sincere interest, totalMINI will be among the first to drive the MINI Countryman on a UK Track.
Taking place at Bedford Autodrome on 26th August, around three weeks before the full public launch, we will also have access on the day to the forthcoming Coupe and Roadster models
We'll be going tooled up on the day with cameras and laptops, so will provide you all the details we can as quickly as we can, and expect a full write up after the event too
Stay tuned then on the 26th, it's sure to be an epic day
Also, if there is anything any member would like us to look at on their behalf at the event, let me know and I'll try to answer your question for you."
Här har vi provkörningen från TM´s korrespondent i ärendet, Jon:
"Well, how can I sum up the day better than by talking through the various activities we've been up to!!
ACTIVITY 1: SOFT ROADING
The first thing we got to do was a little bit of mud plugging in the Countryman. The majority of cars were Doopers with All4, but Ian (118) and I bagged a Cooper S
So, we set off round the car park towards our muddy field, and my first impressions behind the wheel of the Countryman! Well, the driving position is superb - proper car layout with all the controls directly ahead, and all the dash buttons just about where you'd expect them to be on a modern MINI The biggest boon for me though is the view out across the bonnet (something I love in my Disco), and with both front corners in sight, you really do feel in command.
So, hit the mud - it was a wet day today, and seems to have rained for the last week non-stop here in Southern England. There was plenty of the brown stuff!
The course laid out for us was more rutted field than green lane, and was mainly flat with a few corners thrown in, and one moderate hill climb and decent. With the dealers having used the same course for the past few weeks, it had become more of a rally special stage however
As soon as we hit the mud (DSC and Traction switched off), we were instructed to keep the car in first, and keep the S in her power band just above 2000 rpm. Immediately she started squirming under the soft ground and you could feel the All4 system doing its job even faster! The All4 system can run the car as 100% front wheel drive, 100% rear wheel drive, or any balance in between. The driver has no control over this, it does what it thinks is best, and does it to brilliant effect
We clear the flat section and climb up the hill, keeping the power on, the Cooper S All4 did it with surprising ease (and that's coming from a Landy owner!)... perched at the top, we're instructed to edge the car over the brink, off the clutch, and cover the brakes on the return back to ground level - again completely drama free.
Once down we're treated to a series of sweeping left and right bends, and on one particularly tight left hander, I got it wrong. We're running wide, heading for the grass... just then I felt the rear end get traction and power, and the resulting drift come tail slide was great fun! It also coated the entire off side of the car in mud!
With the drivers side window now useless (covered in mud), it was Ians turn! Sat in the back, you appreciate how hard the system works to keep the car in check. You can hear the ABS braking individual wheels, and you can (almost) feel the power moving fore and aft!
Overall, you can probably tell, I'm very impressed. The Countryman will do more off road than most folks will ever need, let alone use. It takes some serious punishment without complaint, and when the going does get muddy, it becomes teriffic fun!
Soft Roading = Pass (with Merit)
ACTIVITY 2: DSC DEMONSTRATION
The DSC demonstration was very simple - a wet track and a slalom!
Build up some speed, go faster than you probably should through a set of cones, and do several laps trying the same thing with the DSC on and with the DSC switched off!
What I'm happy to report is that the DSC does its job very well. As with the R56, it can brake individual wheels to correct under or oversteer, and the traction control will back off the trottle to help reduce wheelspin.
One press of the button disables the traction control, but leaves DSC on, and a second press switches off the whole system.
When the DSC does cut in, it doesn't intrude, it helps you. With the DSC on I was able to hustle the Countryman through the slaloms without touching a cone, and whilst remaining in full control. With it off, well... I wouldn't have liked to have been stood where the cones were!!
DSC Test = Pass
ACTIVITY 3: PURSUIT
This was a real laugh! There's no other way to describe it!
The pursuit consisted of two identical circuits side by side - a mirror image of one another. A Cooper (2wd) and a Cooper S with All4 were lined up on both sides. The two Cooper S's lined up on the starting lines, the signal was given and they we're off...
Both cars had to complete a lap of a central island, then a full 360 degree turn, then park in the 'garage'... the first to stop, won! Each driver got two attempts in both the Cooper and S, and was a great opportunity to compare the 2wd and All4 models!
The two cars are completely different, and at this stage the Coopers dimminutive 122bhp didn't matter, it was all about handling.
So how are they?
Well, any MINI owner could jump into a 2wd Countryman, and get the best from it straight away. The front wheel drive chassis is fantasic, and much better than any other vehicle I've driven of this size/height. No, it's not as good as a MINI Hatch, or Clubman for that matter, but it is still very good, and feels like a MINI. The 2wd model is also blessed with a good dollop of very easily provoked lift off oversteer (as I found on the afternoon track drive when I lost a 122bhp Cooper is a cloud of blue tyre smoke ).
The All4 is a completely different drive, and will take current MINI owners some getting used to! However, once you master the art of provoking the power transfer to the rear, and you learn how to get the best from the All4 system, it really is a cracker of a drive.
I would imagine that if you show the All4 a B-road and a tight turn, you could steer the car in, sense a small amount of understeer, then prod the throttle to produce some rear end slidery That's because if the front wheels don't have the grip, the power will be sent to the rear wheels when you plant your right foot.
All of a sudden, your Crossover becomes a rear wheel drive funster
Handling test: pass (with surprise)
ACTIVITY 4: The Track Drive
After lunch, we headed across to the West Circuit for our track fun. Our group was taken off for challenge car laps first - we'll ignore that for the moment, needless to say the Challenge car was awesome, and there's video evidence of us all during our laps
We then got to take the Cooper (2wd) and the All4 equipped Cooper D for a drive around the West Circuit led at a decent pace under a safety car.
It was here however for me that the Cooper showed its lack of oomph. The Cooper engine felt very strained out on the track, and I just feel that it isn't up to the job of hauling the Countryman along. Goodness knows what the ONE will be like.
I then stepped into the Cooper D however, and the little diesel unit proved a much worthier power plant for the larger Countryman! The extra torque out on circuit meant the car pulled well through the gears, and never felt underpowered like the petrol Cooper.
So what do I think of the Countryman? Well, first thing is first, it is without doubt a MINI, and a worthy addition to the brand.
Model wise, if you enjoy a spirited drive, ignore the ONE and Cooper, and go for either the Cooper D or Cooper S. Or of course you could wait for the 2.0 diesel unit next year
Would I spec All4? Yes, without doubt. All4 transforms the car, and when you learn how to make it work to your advantge, it transforms the driving experience.
So, what the Countryman does it is expands the MINI brand upwards and outwards. It's spacious, can genuinely seat 5 adults, and carry their bags. It's well made too - these test cars had been punished for two weeks by dealers, and they all still felt good!
MINI really have built a car which ticks all the boxes... I might have some rose tinted specs on, but I am genuinely amazed how good it is at everything it needs to do!
Well, that just about covers it for now. Thank you to MINI for hosting such as marvellous day for us, next time we just need to book some sunshine
Jon".
Lite bilder: MINI Countryman Owners Preview Day@@AMEPARAM@@offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Ftotalmini%2Fsets%2F72157 624809793680%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Ftotalmini%2Fsets%2F 72157624809793680%2F&set_id=72157624809793680&jump_to=@@AMEPARAM@@en-us@@AMEPARAM@@%2Fphotos%2Ftotalmini%2Fsets%2F72157 624809793680%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Ftotalmini%2Fsets%2F 72157624809793680%2F&set_id=72157624809793680&jump_to= (http://www.flickr.com/photos/totalmini/sets/72157624809793680/show/)
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Cars on show at Bedford 26/08/10@@AMEPARAM@@offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Ftotalmini%2Fsets%2F72157 624813945414%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Ftotalmini%2Fsets%2F 72157624813945414%2F&set_id=72157624813945414&jump_to=@@AMEPARAM@@en-us@@AMEPARAM@@%2Fphotos%2Ftotalmini%2Fsets%2F72157 624813945414%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Ftotalmini%2Fsets%2F 72157624813945414%2F&set_id=72157624813945414&jump_to= (http://www.flickr.com/photos/totalmini/sets/72157624813945414/show/)
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