Mini John Cooper Works Buggy

The Mini John Cooper Works Buggy is an off-road competition vehicle built by the German racing team X-raid under the Mini brand. It has been in use by the team since 2018. The car secured the 2019 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies and won the Dakar Rally in both 2020 and 2021.

X-raid first entered the car in the 2018 Dakar Rally with two drivers: Mikko Hirvonen finished 19th, while Bryce Menzies, a Dakar newcomer, did not complete the race. For the 2019 Dakar, Stéphane Peterhansel, Carlos Sainz, and Cyril Despres—who had previously driven for Peugeot in 2018—switched to the X-raid Mini.

Despres was the best of the three, finishing fifth. Sainz placed 13th with one stage win, and Peterhansel withdrew after winning two special stages. Later that year, Peterhansel went on to win the 2019 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies.

The 2020 Dakar Rally was the first held in Saudi Arabia, with only Sainz and Peterhansel continuing as drivers. Sainz claimed the car’s first Dakar victory, winning four stages along the way. Peterhansel finished third, also taking four stage wins.