The MINI John Cooper Works Countryman may be the most appealing car the brand has ever created. It’s got 211 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque, it comes standard with all wheel drive and there’s plenty of room for three friends and a reasonable amount of gear. It even looks right, and you can point out to your friends that a (heavily modified) Countryman won Paris-Dakar this year and even had a few podium finishes during last year’s WRC season.
As good as the upcoming John Cooper Works Countryman may be, attempting wingsuit flight behind one isn’t going to end well. In fact, we’d bet that it would end very, very badly, whether or not you attempt to launch your flying friend off a cliff. We’re sure the video is faked, using either a balloon shaped like a guy in a wingsuit or perhaps some creative video editing. In any case, what’s most surprising is that MINI doesn’t give the standard disclaimer about “not trying this at home.”
That may fly (no pun intended) in Europe, since any court in the EU would deny a personal injury case based on replicating this stunt. Here in the land of litigation, however, it’s probably just a matter of time before someone sues MINI after trying to duplicate the stunt seen here. Let us be the first to advise you, then: the video is faked, so don’t try this at home.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
