Category: MINI

Porsche have declined the invitation to a race from MINI USA President Jim McDowell with a wonderfully succinct reply.

The response took the form of an open letter written by Detlev Von Platen, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America. In his letter, available in full below, he states, “Porsche doesn’t race for fame, stunts or publicity. We race to challenge ourselves; we race to push sports car technology; we race to translate every win on the track to our cars on the road.”

Von Platen didn’t miss a second opportunity to remind McDowell that Porsche’s racing history is proud and grows with many major events each year, “While your challenge seems like a fun and lighthearted campaign, we’ll stick to racing the way we have over the decades. We welcome you at Sebring, Le Mans, Daytona or any other sanctioned race where there is more at stake than T-shirts and valet parking spaces.”

An invitation of his own was issued by Von Platen when he included a link to a Porsche advertisement that highlights its racing pedigree. The ad has been featured on AUSmotive before and can be seen again after the jump.

So, for now, at least, the MINI v Porsche party is over. Although, given MINI’s cheeky marketing prowess they’ll likely have a new tack ready to tack in this battle of wits which aims, if nothing else, to put the MINI name alongside Porsche in a new way to create brand association.

[Source: Autoblog]

UPDATE: MotoringFile brings us news that MINI USA are getting ready to flog a dead horse.

This is Jim McDowell, President of MINI USA and former Porsche employee. In the video after the jump Jim presents a challenge to Porsche by daring them to race a MINI. Part PR stunt, part madness but typical of the brash MINI marketing methods employed around the world since the car was launched in 2001.

MINI have proposed a date for the showdown of 21 June, so we don’t have long to wait and see what happens next. The cars to take part would be a MINI Cooper S and a Porsche 911. The track? Road Atlanta, a purpose-built 4km long track conveniently located near Porsche USA headquarters.

For their part Porsche seem interested with Steve Janisse, Porsche’s Media Relations Manager, saying, “Porsche has the most racing victories of any manufacturer out there – 28,000 and counting – maybe we should go for 28,001.”

More info available from facebook.com/MINIUSA.

[Source: Jalopnik via Kilometer Magazine]