First Drive
Sandown Raceway, Victoria

What we liked
>>Amazing handling
>>Powerful brakes
>>Engine pulls strongly

Not so much
>>Squeezing into the cockpit
>>Tricky gearbox
>>Motor racing is addictive; we want more!

Let's get one thing straight; comparing the MINI Cooper S JCW MINI Challenge racer to the regular, road-going John Cooper Works is like comparing an HSV GTS or FPV GT to a V8 Supercar.

While it may look like the standard 'brick' at a glance, this MINI is a proper racing car. It should be, because it is built by BMW Motorsport in Germany, the same team that builds the World Touring Cars and GT machines for the American Le Mans Series.

The MINI Challenge cars certainly look the part sitting in pitlane at Melbourne's Sandown Raceway, which is where the Carsales Network has come to sample the racer. We're taking part in the first of three test days the series is holding under the banner of the 'MINI Challenge Roadshow'.

The idea of the Roadshow is to get potential competitors along to sample the Challenge racer in a bid to bolster grid sizes. Now in its second season in Australia, the MINI Challenge has been one of many racing categories hit by the Global Financial Crisis. After a successful opening season grid numbers have shrunk in 2009 and the category organizer, Spherix, is hoping the Roadshow will reverse that.

Part of the problem with the MINI Challenge remains the perception that the race cars are simply road cars with the seats taken out and a rollcage installed. That may be part of the story but it's definitely not the whole picture. Although the donor MINI comes from the road car factory in Oxford, England, it is the team at BMW Motorsport that gets the cars ready for the track. They fit a racing rollcage, six-point racing harness, seat and fire extinguishers for safety as well as a number of modifications for performance.

Those modifications include an aerodynamic package that includes a front spoiler, rear diffuser and adjustable rear wing. There is also AP Racing brakes, KW Racing suspension that allows for adjustments to rebound, compression and ride height, and wider Borbet racing wheels fitted with Dunlop slick tyres.

After some introductions and a quick look inside the car it's time to suit up and get behind the wheel -- a none too easy task. Like most race cars, getting into the MINI requires a mix of contortion, experience and determination to squeeze through the rollcage and settle into the tight fighting cabin. The job is made harder because, unlike the road-going JCW, the seat is not adjustable; instead it is bolted in place for maximum safety and control once you are aboard.

Once you are in place the first thing you notice is that the steering wheel is incredibly close to your chest. That's because once you're on the track you don't require the same amount of lock that you do on the road. The next thing is the rest of the interior is a lot like a regular MINI. Obviously the lack of any carpet or trim and the addition of the rollcage is not normal, but the dashboard, pedals and gearshift are all straight from the road car. Heck, even the key is still used!

The only racing concession is a small digital dash placed over the tacho. It contains a row of shift lights across the top as well as read outs for speed and other vital numbers (not exactly sure what though because I was too busy looking where I was going!).

A warning that I was the first driver out in the car and both the tyres and brakes would be cold meant I would have to take it easy for the first couple of laps. So with those words ringing in my head I pushed the starter button, slotted first gear and pulled out of the pits. Despite being tuned for maximum performance the task was as easy pulling away in the road car.

Accelerating down the main straight noise is the most overwhelming sensation. The little engine barks through the racing exhaust to make sure the MINI sounds at home on the track.

Before I know it its time to see what the brakes can do as I reach into the first turn. Even cold they feel strong as I hit the middle pedal -- stronger than even the impressive JCW road car stoppers. The race car uses larger 330mm rotors (compared to 316mm) and four-piston calipers (similar to the road model) and as they warm up they feel stronger and stronger.

With only five laps I don't get a chance to give the anchors a proper workout but the initial impression remains -- they are both powerful and resilient. The certainly feel up for the punishment dished out by racing.

After a few laps it comes time to push the Challenge car closer to its limits. Coming onto the main straight and powering hard through the gears to fifth (sixth isn't required at Sandown) the Cooper S reaches over 180km/h before the braking zone into Turn One. On the straights the MINI did have a tendency to move around a bit, a hang up from its retro aerodynamics. The Spherix organizers warned me this would happen and explained the only way to deal with it was to keep your right foot buried. So I did, and they were right. Yes, it wriggles a bit but you just need to trust that the car will hold on via its slick racing tyres.

Flying past the 200-metre braking marker and punching the brake pedal around 50 metres later the MINI sheds speed at an alarming rate. MINI claims the car is able to go from 100-0km/h in only 3.1seconds. Based on my experience I have no trouble believing that figure.

You can flick from fifth to fourth then third gear before turning into the corner and almost immediately get back on the throttle. Not only are the tyres slick for better grip, that are also half an inch wider (7.5 verses 7) than the road JCW. That means putting the power to the ground isn't problem. The rubber and suspension is more than capable of coping and there is remarkably little torque steer even under extreme acceleration.

The only disappointment was the gearbox. For the most part it was simple and straightforward to use -- given it is the same one found in the road car. However, it was difficult at times to find second gear on the change down from third. It was a blemish on an otherwise impressive track car.

But by far the most impressive feature of the MINI Challenge machine was the handling. MINI makes a big deal of its ‘go-kart like' handling and while the road-going JCW is good in this department, the race car is in another league. There is an abundance of grip when you push hard through the corners but even more brilliant is the way the car changes direction. Through the turn two/three/four complex, as well as the run down the hill to Dandenong Rd corner off the end of the back straight, the MINI felt nothing short of exceptional.

It really does feel as responsive and agile as a kart at times, which given the car weight around 1200kg, is no small feat.

There is one other major problem with the MINI Challenge racecar I discovered at Sandown -- it is addictive. Before I knew it the call came to return to the pits and I had to bring it back in and scramble out.

If you are interested in racing though then the MINI Challenge is worth a serious look. MINI and Spherix reported plenty of interested from the group that tested the car at Sandown -- a group that included racers from a variety of categories, including V8 Supercars.

At $88,000 (plus GST) the MINI Challenge is good value for a race car but still out of this author's price range; and given it can't be road registered it isn't very practical either. But, MINI... about that Uber Star car you use for guest drivers and the occasional journalist...

MINI Challenge Race Car
Power: 154kW
Torque: 260Nm
Top Speed: 240km/h
0-100km/h: 6.1seconds
Price: $88,000 + GST

MINI Cooper S JCW
Power: 155kW
Torque: 260Nm
Top Speed: 238km/h
0-100km/h: 6.5seconds
Price: $48,800

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