Sometimes, to truly experience what your MINI has to offer, you have to get off the road… and onto the racetrack. So that’s exactly what MINI decided to do. MINI’s brand ambassadors DJs Fresh and Euphonik, vocalists J’Something from MiCasa and Dave from Goldfish, and Seth Rotherham of 2oceansvibe.com took a day out and headed to Zwartkops track in Centurion, where MINI had lined up a selection of the latest models for the boys to put through their paces.

“What guy doesn’t like the feeling of going around a corner flat out?” asks J’Something. Fair question. As DJ Fresh quite rightly pointed out, “You hardly ever get to do that on the streets of Joburg.” We’re not quite sure what he meant by “hardly ever”, but a day at the track certainly opened up a new dimension of MINI-driving experience for some of the brand’s closest friends.

After breakfast, the boys hit the tarmac, beginning with lap sessions with trained driving instructors, so that they could get a feel for driving in a real racing environment. Despite admitting to some first-time racetrack jitters, Euphonik was thrilled by the experience: “When you drive your car on the road, you never think you can push them as hard as you can push them here,” he said. “I’m just amazed by how these cars handle the road.” J’Something echoed his sentiments: “We didn’t really know that these cars could perform so well.”

What would a day at the racetrack burning rubber be without a little bit of a competition, though? After more hot laps, it was time for the friends of MINI to test their newfound skills, and the previously undiscovered potential of their MINIs with a drag race. MiCasa’s J’Something was named best driver overall.

The day was a hit. “Listen, being on a racecourse with a MINI is basically an awesome thing,” said Dave from Goldfish, summing it up. No one could argue; “These are amazing machines,” said Fresh. “Absolutely loved it.” And Euphonik ended on the slightly more thoughtful note, “I actually feel much safer in my car now, because I can see what it’s capable of doing.”

So there you have it. You might “hardly ever” be able to drive like this in the city, but once you’ve tried it, each time you slip behind the wheel, you know what your MINI is truly capable of.