Driving Sports

Driving Sports has confirmed that Ken Block will driving for Ford in 2010 in both the Rally America Series and the World Rally Championship! Plus, we talk with Pastrana before he makes his big New Year's jump and check out the MINI Beachcomber, a modern version of the classic Mini Moke.

Transcript:

Welcome to the first Driving Sports Extra! of 2010.

This week: Pastrana kicks Blocks –

Ken Block has confirmed that he will be driving a Ford Fiesta in the 2010 Rally America series.

That means it will be Block in a Fiesta, versus Pastrana in a Subaru, in an epic battle for total Rally America domination.

That’s not all. Block will also be driving a Focus in the World Rally Championship.

Yes, Ken Block, Mr. Gymkhana, is going to the big show in 2010. With a goal of getting “near or on the podium by the end of 2011.”

We can only imagine it’s a matter of time before we see Gymkhana III: Fiestas on Fire, hit YouTube.

We now return to this episode, already in progress.

-- butt and the MINI Cooper goes topless in Detroit.

How did you celebrate New Years Eve? If your name is Travis Pastrana you jumped a rally car 269 feet for a new world’s record…

What next? Going to jump out of a plane without a parachute… oh, wait.

Okay, Ken Block, ball’s in your court now. Travis smashed your 170-ft Stunt Junkies performance and I think that calls for payback. Here’s my idea: Grand canyon, Rockets, Subaru. Think about it.

Have a better one? Leave your ideas in the comments below and we’ll forward them to Ken.

Have you always loved the Mini Cooper, but wanted something a bit more rugged? You’re in luck, because the boys at BMW will be introducing the MINI Beachcomber concept at this year’s Detroit show.

The Beachcomber is a modern reinvention of the classic MINI Moke.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Moke, it was a utility car built on the classic MINI chassis between the years of 1964 and 1993. This little buggy was first manufactured BMC, then British Leyland and finally Cagiva.

Even though the Moke had Jeep-like looks, its low ground clearance made it impractical for serious off-roading. In spite of this, the Moke did become fairly popular in sunnier parts of the United States and Australia -- at least in its early days.

The new Beachcomber concept takes this ball and runs with it. As the fourth model in the MINI lineup, it takes the design of the upcoming Crossover MINI and gives it an open-air treatment.

Like the Crossover, the Beachcomber will include the new MINI-specific all-wheel drive system, making it an ideal vehicle for coastal states. If the weather should happen to turn foul, a compact soft-top can be deployed to keep passengers dry.

Those details aside, this is very much like any other MINI. Lots of funky design touches, short overhangs and a myriad of color combinations will be on tap when the car goes into production, which could be as soon as this year.

Thanks for watching. For more Driving Sports goodness, check out our site at www.drivingsports.com

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