It’s on like Donkey Kong this weekend as the 2018 Dakar kicks off in Lima, Peru. The first of 14 stages across three countries begins today and Mini is hoping to make some serious waves. Seven Mini crews with two men each are set to kick off the race which spans nearly 5,600 miles over the next two weeks. It’s arguably the toughest cross-country race on Earth.

Making up the seven crews are three new rear-wheel-drive Mini John Cooper Works Buggy cars and four of the legendary all-wheel-drive Mini John Cooper Works Rally cars. The crews driving the X-Raid Team Mini John Cooper Works Buggies are Mikko Hirovonen (FIN) with Andreas Schulz (DEU), Yazeed Al Rajhi (KSA) with Timo Gottschalk (DEU), and Dakar rookies, Americans Bryce Menzies and Peter Mortensen.

The four Mini John Cooper Works Rally crews are all seasoned Dakar veterans. The teams include Joan ‘Nani’ Roma (ESP) with Alex Haro (ESP), Jakub ‘Kuba’ Przygonski (POL) with Tom Colsoul (BEL), Boris Garafulic (CHI) with Filipe Palmeiro (PRT), and Argentine duo Orlando Terranova with Bernardo Graue.