MINI is having their 50^th Birthday down in Clarens this weekend and to boost the celebrations they’ve invited legendary Finnish rally driver, Rauno Aaltonen, to join in on the festivities. Having won the prestigious 1967 Monte Carlo Rally behind the wheel of an original Mini Cooper S, Aaltonen is to the famous MINI brand what Michael Schumacher is to Ferrari Scuderia – a living, breathing demigod endowed with the sort of charisma that gives you instant goose flesh. I managed to score a ride with the gritty 71-year-old on a special 5-kilometer “special stage” – a gnarly strip of gravel road running through the farmlands surrounding Clarens – and was absolutely blown away his skill and chilled-out composure. Armed with a brand new MINI John Cooper Works, the Flying Finn demonstrated the Scandinavian Flick, tugged at the handbrake and drifted through off-camber corners with the sort of pin-point driving accuracy that makes 26-year-old petrolheads like me feel, well, thoroughly emasculated. Regardless, it was an unforgettable experience and one that proved to me once again that age really is just a number…