BMW MINI officially chosen for 2012 London Olympics. It seems year 2012 is a good year with most of the famous event such as London Olympics, famous movie 2012…etc. The Mini, the cult iconic British car since 1959 and revived for the modern driver in 60’s by the Germans, will transport athletes and officials around London during the 2012 Olympics under a £40 million deal agreed yesterday (17 November 2009).

BMW MINI officially chosen for 2012 London Olympics

BMW saloons will also be used for VIPs, sports chiefs and corporate guests after the German carmaker was chosen over Ford and Nissan as the official car sponsor of the London Games.

While the elite will be driven between venues along specially reserved Olympic lanes, the general public will be expected to travel on public transport, by bicycle or on foot as part of a pledge by London organisers to stage a green Games.

The 4,000 vehicles including the famous MINI Cooper to be supplied by BMW will be standard rather than hybrid engines, although the company will showcase some electric vehicles on the Olympic Park and is providing a few hundred bicycles for use by competitors around the Athletes’ Village and by London 2012 staff.

Sadly for members of the International Olympic Committee, who are used to the red-carpet treatment by host cities, Rolls-Royce — the classic British marque now also owned by BMW — is not covered by the cash and services deal.

London organisers defended the choice of BMW, known for its highperformance engines, saying that the carmaker would provide a fleet that would meet European CO2 emission standards as well as its own more stringent target.

Other interesting topics: pimped out cars, classic car values, Lamborghini Limo

Lord Coe, chairman of the London organising committee, said that the damage to reputation from not being able to manage official transport during the Games would be “acute” and that BMW met its operational requirements.

The BMW deal is thought to include more than £20 million in cash. The contract, which comes after similar deals with British Airways, BP, Adidas, EDF, Lloyds TSB and BT, brings the fundraising total by the 2012 organisers close to £600 million. The committee is aiming to raise about £700 million, which would represent a third of its £2 billion budget. The balance is covered by an IOC contribution and ticket sales.

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, said that he would be talking to Jacques Rogge, the IOC president, about the possibility of IOC members and VIPs using public transport as much as possible during the Games.

London’s transport network is undergoing a £100 million upgrade including a Japanese-style high-speed shuttle known as the Javelin, which will ferry up to 25,000 people an hour between St Pancras International and the Olympic Park. The journey takes less than seven minutes.

Mr Rogge has said that he would consider fewer Olympic road lanes if London organisers could guarantee congestion-free streets and reliable public transport.

Under the present plans, more than 250 miles of road across the country are to be reserved for “zil” lanes, named after the Soviet limousines used by Communist Party officials, and more than 200 traffic lights will be adapted to improve traffic flow. Ordinary drivers face fines for straying on to reserved routes.

(info from timesonline.co.uk)

Pictures of MINI that may be chosen for 2012 London Olympics.