Just like the BMW Driving Experience school, the British brand also has its own driving school program that aims to teach prospective owners how to handle their little bundles of joy. The MINI Driving Experience was previously reserved solely for those living in California or willing to travel to The Thermal Club in Palm Springs for a nice couple of days on the track. Well, that’s no longer the case, as MINI made an announcement today.
Two new locations are now available for enthusiasts, this time on the East Coast, one in Spartanburg, at the BMW Performance Center East, and one at the Monticello Motor Club, in New York. The new MINI Driving Experience at BMW Performance Center East will offer a half day program with three groups rotating through three driving experiences. They include a Timed Autocross segment as well as a handling course and a Performance Drive segment, where participants get to drive 4 different MINI cars back to back.
The new MINI Driving Experience at the Monticello Motor Club will include a full day track experience for club members called TASTE of the TRACK. Club members will take to MMC’s 4.1-mile course in a MINI John Cooper Works Hardtop with the help of a professional driving coach. During this full day of private instruction, members can improve their high-performance driving techniques as you enjoy some serious seat time on Monticello Motor Club’s famed track.
The MINI Driving Experience at Monticello Motor Club will also offer a Teen Driving School and Camp. This program is designed to teach teens valuable racing and defensive driving maneuvers that will benefit him or her on the road and on the track. In a small group setting, students will learn basic and advanced racing skills, along with high-speed avoidance and sliding skills that will make them safer, more competent drivers on the road.
“We are always looking for new and exciting ways to put people behind the wheel of a MINI and give them an experience where they can push it to the limit in a safe environment,” said Patrick McKenna, Department Head, Product Planning & Marketing. “The number one reason people buy a MINI is because it’s fun to drive, and what better way to demonstrate that fact than a driving experience on a closed course with professional driving instructors.”
