MINI kicks off bi-annual road rally; routes traverse 5,000 mi

Two groups will depart from Orlando and Portland, meeting in the middle at Keystone, Colorado.

MINI has kicked off its bi-annual road rally, culminating in a jamboree in the Rocky Mountains.

This year, two groups will depart on separate rally routes starting in Orlando and Portland. Both will converge in Keystone, Colorado on July 20 for a "weekend celebration of everything MINI."

Last year, drivers completed a 14-day adventure across nearly 4,400 miles to raise money for Feeding America. This year, drivers will traverse more than 5,000 miles and the company hopes to raise enough money to provide more than two million meals.

The West-coast route drops down to Los Angeles before heading east to Flagstaff, Arizona; Santa Fe, New Mexico; and up toward Durango, Colorado. The Eastern Group stays along the Gulf of Mexico until New Orleans before heading northwest to Little Rock, back down to Dallas and then direct toward Keystone via Oklahoma City and Dodge City, Kansas.

"MINI Takes the States is the ultimate opportunity for MINI owners to enjoy the famous go-kart handling and performance of their MINI as they travel through America's scenic backroads and byways," says MINI Americas VP Thomas Felbermair.