306 PS MINI John Cooper Works Clubman in Lapland!

It must be because of the training conditions in their homeland that two of the best drivers who have ever raced on the rally slopes of the world come from Finland. Timo Mäkinen and Rauno Aaltonen acquired the sensitivity in their hands and feet, which would later benefit them in the battle for seconds, on the lonely, mostly snow-covered roads of Lapland in late autumn and sometimes on frozen lakes. MINI has a special bond with the two “flying Finns”. In 1965 and 1967, respectively, Mäkinen and Aaltonen clinched the second and third overall victory in the Monte Carlo Rally in the classic MINI Cooper S.

MINI John Cooper Works Clubman

The fact that sporty driving in Lapland requires special skills is immediately noticeable on a winter trip in a modern model from the British premium brand such as the MINI John Cooper Works Clubman. The power of 225 kW / 306 PS under the bonnet reminds you to be careful with the accelerator, but the standard all-wheel drive ALL4 distributes the ample drive torque between the front and rear wheels with great precision, and if there is too much arrogance, the DSC driving stability control takes over (Dynamic Stability Control).

Eleven out of 11 members of the “Rally Hall of Fame” are Finns

Performance at this level, four driven wheels and electronic helpers did not exist in Mäkinen and Aaltonen's heyday. They performed their spectacular driving maneuvers with far more modest means. In 2010 they were the first drivers to be accepted into the then newly founded “Rally Hall of Fame” - together with Northern Irishman Paddy Hopkirk, who had already achieved the first “Monte” overall victory in 1964 with the classic MINI. The hall of fame of rally sport is - this is certainly no coincidence either - in Finland. The greatest in their field are honored in the Mobilia Automobile Museum in Tampere. Over the years, numerous other rally drivers from the land of 1000 lakes have earned the nickname “flying Finn”. No fewer than eleven of the previous 26 members of the “Rally Hall of Fame” are Finns. A visit to the museum is therefore the ideal start to a journey in the footsteps of the rallying legends. The anticipation grows spontaneously to test the performance characteristics of the MINI John Cooper Works Clubman on ice and snow.

If you set off for Lapland from Tampere, you have the opportunity to drive hundreds of kilometers north along the Finnish west coast to slowly get used to the arctic temperatures. In Lapland, winter shows itself in its pure form: bitterly cold and with a lot of snow. There should not be a lack of warm clothing. The MINI John Cooper Works Clubman offers space for this in its 360-liter luggage compartment behind the split doors at the rear that open to the side. After folding down the rear seat backrest, the storage volume even increases to up to 1 liters. Additional space is available in the MINI roof box to store windproof jackets, ski underwear and woolen socks. It has a capacity of 250 liters and can be securely attached with the optional roof rails of the MINI John Cooper Works Clubman and the rail carrier available in the MINI Original Accessories range in a few simple steps.

After a stopover in Lapland's capital Rovaniemi, the Arctic Circle is soon crossed. The vastness of the landscape invites you to simply follow the course of the road while driving through dense coniferous forests and past numerous lakes. The MINI John Cooper Works Clubman digs its way unswervingly through deep snow. Far away from stop signs and traffic lights, icy surfaces invite you to refine the art of cornering while drifting.

The Lapland region stretches across the north of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia. It encompasses the settlement area of ​​the original Sami population, whose culture and history are vividly documented in a museum in the village of Inari. Those who made it there may be thinking about continuing the journey up to the North Cape on the Norwegian island of Magerøya. After all, there are now only 400 additional kilometers left to cover.

In many places in Lapland there is the opportunity to discover arctic foxes, snow owls and other animals in their natural environment on a snowshoe hike or a dog sled ride. In addition, the desire to see the northern lights on a long winter night attracts tourists from all over the world to the far north. As soon as the temperatures and visibility are ideal for the natural phenomenon, you must hurry to reach a suitable vantage point in good time. In the MINI John Cooper Works Clubman, this extra tour is also a pleasure. On the nightly "sleigh ride" with 306 horsepower, its optional adaptive LED headlights with matrix function for the high beam show the way to one of those places where the colorful sky spectacle can be particularly well observed.

The Ranua Zoo enables uncomplicated encounters with the arctic fauna. On the outskirts of the small town about 80 kilometers south of Rovaniemi, visitors can observe elk, reindeer, brown and polar bears, wolves, arctic foxes and many other animals native to northern Scandinavia. Wooden paths and bridges lead through the spacious enclosure. Ranua Wildlife Park opened in 1983 and is the most popular tourist attraction in Northern Finland.

For a longer stay, apartment houses and the so-called Arctic Fox Igloos are available on the grounds of the wildlife park. These accommodations are located directly on the shores of Lake Ranuanjärvi and not only have their own sauna, but also a fully glazed and north-facing bedroom, which is also primarily an observation station. Because you can hardly wait anywhere in Lapland for the appearance of the famous northern lights to be cozier and warmer.

Photos: Mini (BMW Group)

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MINI John Cooper Works Clubman in Lapland

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