Nani Roma showed at the 2012 Dakar Rally just what he is capable of at the wheel of the MINI ALL4 Racing, when he finished runner-up behind his X-raid team-mate Stéphane Peterhansel. Now, the Spaniard presented his MINI ALL4 Racing to fans and journalists at a spectacular show event in his home country, before he will be setting off to South America shortly after Christmas for the final preparations ahead of the start of the Dakar.

On the popular “Les Comes” estate to the north-west of Barcelona, Nani powered his way round a show circuit in the MINI ALL4 Racing, demonstrating spectacular jumps and whipping up plenty of dust out on the track. The spectacular show brought the house down and provided the photographers with some action-packed images. Although Nani was in the wrong-coloured MINI at the event – the show MINI used was in green rather than the yellow livery used during the upcoming Dakar – the 40-year-old appeared full of confidence ahead of the 15^th  Dakar appearance of his career.

Nani: “We have done our homework.”

“I worked hard all year and we have done our homework. I have a reliable car, an experienced co-driver and a professional team around me,” said Nani, who stressed recently just how unpredictable the Dakar is. Despite this, he is driven by a very special motivation: the chance to become the very first Spaniard to win the Dakar on both two and four wheels.

In 2004, when the Dakar was still held in Africa, Nani clinched overall victory in the motorcycle category. In 2012, he came within a whisker of fulfilling his dream, finishing runner-up in the X-raid Team’s MINI ALL4 Racing. “Obviously I would also like to win the car category of the Dakar,” Nani said recently. “However, there is no point in thinking about the finish before you even start. Too much can happen between now and then. As such, my first goal is to get off to a good, focussed start and avoid making any mistakes. If I manage that, I will have established a good basis for what follows.”

When Nani and the X-raid Team get their 2013 Dakar campaign underway between 5^th  and 20^th  January 2013, fans and media unable to make it to South America will easily be able to follow all the action on the MINI Motorsport Dakar Ticker at Twitter.com/MINImotorsport. You can also find more information at Facebook.com/MINImotorsport and here on the MINI Motorsport website.