MINI Countryman Off-Road Edition: Rebelle Rally Debut and October 2026 Reveal

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MINI is preparing a version of the Countryman built for rougher roads, and it has picked an unusual place to debut it. The car will compete in the Rebelle Rally, an all-women navigation rally covering 1,500 miles — about 2,414 km. Electronic navigation is banned: crews find checkpoints using paper maps, a compass and a road book only.

This will be MINI’s first entry in the Rebelle Rally. The 2026 route runs through Nevada, California and Utah, with the official start on October 8 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The competition doesn’t reward top speed — it scores navigation accuracy, route discipline and teamwork.

The car’s name hasn’t been revealed in the announcement, but BMW Group’s official photos are captioned MINI Countryman Edition, with the factory code U25. The same material notes that the car shown is a prototype not yet intended for sale. It’s too early to call this a finished production off-road variant of the Countryman. Its engine, drivetrain and ground clearance remain undisclosed ahead of the October reveal.

MINI says the new variant will get a full global unveiling in the fall of 2026. The engine, drivetrain, ride height, body protection and how it differs from the standard Countryman are all still unknown. The rally is meant to double as both a stress test and part of the launch campaign, but competing in it alone doesn’t guarantee every part fitted to this car will make it to the production spec.

Behind the wheel at the Rebelle Rally will be American rally driver Felicia Killman, with Erika Ferrer of BMW Group’s Mexican division as her navigator. Ferrer has won regional navigator championships three times and has competed in the La Carrera Panamericana alongside Benito Guerra.