THE MINI Track Day 2020 was held at the Sepang International Circuit recently, bringing together driving enthusiasts for an exciting day on the race track.
And, of course, drivers got to unleash their inner MINIac behind the wheel of the latest MINI machines, including the super-capable JCW 306HP models, with the correct technique and in a safe environment.
“The MINI Track Day 2020 was how we fulfil that responsibility while making it enjoyable for all, and we were glad to have presented another thrilling experience for MINI fans,” said BMW Group Malaysia corporate communications head Sashi Ambi.
“Beyond passion, MINI exemplifies iconic and timeless presence, superior and signature Go-Kart drive handling, which is truly MINI from the very beginning of its creation,” he added.
WARMING UP
First, as with the other track sessions, is the safety briefing.
A word of advice; while “safety” may sound boring to you, you should take it as a professional’s tip on how to drive fast and get the most out of the cars correctly on the track.
The certified BMW Driving Experience instructors shared with us key points like the correct hand position on the steering, throttle and brake managements as well as where to look while driving.
Useful takeaways include applying smooth inputs for steering, throttle and brakes.
One of the instructors said: “If you start to hear or feel the tyres sliding, that means you are losing time.”
We were also advised to sit in the seat, not on it. See the difference?
Sitting properly will enable you to feel what the car is going through and react accordingly while having ample body support.
Next, it was time to put it into practice.
The first session was the MINI Driving Experience, where we headed to a stretch between Turn 3 and Turn 4.
This session required us to manoeuvre through a set of slalom, then to a tight 180-degree turn before accelerating and coming to a quick stop within a box.
It was not a competition, but our runs were timed for us to improve ourselves.
I was assigned to a MINI Cooper S five-door with a 2.0-litre engine producing 192hp and 280Nm of torque, managing to clock around 18.3 to 19.5 seconds for the three runs.
The trick here was to drive as close as possible to the cones at the slalom to reduce steering angle and save time, but careful enough not to hit them as we would be imposed with a two-second penalty for each cone hit.
At the 180-degree turn, it can be counter-intuitive to be smooth while chasing time, but power on too much and too early through the U-turn, the traction control will interfere and bog the car down momentarily, causing you to lose time.
Stopping within the box was also trickier than it looked.
With the speed of up to 90kph, you would want to brake just enough; brake too early and you add a fraction of second to the time, brake too late and you will simply end up beyond the box.
The instructor jokingly radioed us to imagine being chased by a villain and needed to stop right in front of a police station.
FLEXING THE 306HP MUSCLES ON TRACK
Next on the agenda was the MINI John Cooper Works (JCW) Track Experience.
In this exercise, we were given two outings, with three to four laps each.
The first outing for me was in the MINI Cooper JCW 3-Door.
Propelled by a turbo-charged four-cylinder engine making 231hp and 320Nm of torque, the numbers were promising enough, but could it keep up with the 306hp JCW Clubman lead car?
Or how long does the lead car need to slow down for me to keep up?
After exiting Turn 8 accelerating towards Turn 9, I could already feel how responsive and direct the car was (we were driving the South Circuit layout of the Sepang track).
Driving in “Sport” mode, the gearshifts from the eight-speed automatic unit were snappy and they could also be felt through the steering wheel, for instance, when exiting the sharp uphill T9 from second to third gear.
The chassis was interestingly playful too, braking while slightly cornering into T11 easily induced the rear end to step out progressively before I applied just enough counter-steering.
The constant correction meant the car demanded full attention from the driver to keep it fast and tidy.
Although there were times the lead car waited for this driver as well as the other drivers to regroup, the MINI JCW 3-Door was an entertaining machine on track and could post a serious speed on the straights.
Next was the JCW 306HP models, where we were supposed to drive either the Clubman or the Countryman. I got the former.
With 306hp and 450Nm of torque on tap, this is the most powerful engine ever fitted to a MINI.
Having driven the JCW Clubman 306HP for a road review a couple of months back, this session was a revisit to this unique six-door car, except the limit can be explored further this time.
Despite making a lot more power than the three-door MINI, the JCW Clubman 306HP felt more planted and a little easier to drive most of the time, thanks to its ALL4 all-wheel drive system.
The power delivery was smoother and more linear too, with flat torque curve ensuring effortless acceleration throughout the rev range.
With a similar transmission, it helped the car to reach close to 200kph in no time on the main straight near the South Paddock, and a set of JCW brakes shave off the speed effectively when it needs to.
The Clubman is by no means a tedious car, having more power and better driveability than the three-door JCW Cooper.
There were pops and cracks from the JCW sports exhausts in Sport mode, and they deliver a deep howl while accelerating hard.
The track experience allowed participants to explore the two JCW MINI models that offer unique characters over the brand’s signature go-kart handling.
One is more playful and more driver-focused, while the other is a little friendlier with serious numbers under its skin.
Also on display for the very first time was the MINI Countryman Blackheath Edition, a dramatic all-black rendition of the Countryman variant and limited to 48 units in Malaysia.
Meanwhile in the JCW section, the highlight was the classic MINI JCW model (a replica, of course) that captured multiple Monte Carlo rally victories in the 1960s.
As my first-ever track session comes to a close in the late evening, driving MINI’s performance machines while having the Sepang sunset in the background naturally made the MINI Track Day 2020 a memorable one.