mini driving experience classes
MINIs are happiest when sliding around a track and being pushed to their limit. Take a class with us, and our professional driving instructors will show you how to extract maximum smiles per hour.
Mini Driving Experience At South Carolina
This action-packed half-day course gets you into a John Cooper Works MINI on our track. Start with a sample of four different MINI models on our track as you drive them back-to-back in our Performance Drive. After your heart rate goes up, hop in for the Handling Course, which shows off the unique handling attributes that make MINIs such fun. Then it’s on to competitive Timed Autocross laps. End the event with a hot lap with one of our pro driving instructors, where the smiles come as fast as the day goes.
Times: 8:30AM-12PM, or 1PM-4:30PM
Price: $499
MINI TRACK DRIVE
A half day with a whole lot of fun. Get in and get familiar with your MINI in short order, then get on the track for some handling, braking and autocross exercises. Try to keep up with our instructors as they take the lead position and guide you around the course. End the session with a hot lap, where an instructor will show you exactly what a MINI can do.
Times: 8:30AM-12PM, or 1PM-4:30PM
Price: $499
Available at Thermal location only. Please note the Summer hours for our Performance Center West location only. Classes in Thermal will begin at 6AM, June 1st through September 30th. Please check your confirmation email for details.
mini autocross and track school
Start your day with a buzz your morning coffee could never provide. You’ll slide behind the wheel of a MINI and take it for a spin on our warm-up slalom, then head into panic braking from increasing speeds. We keep the excitement up with wet skid pad training and emergency lane change maneuvering, then bring it all together for our handling course, where you’ll develop a true feel for the limit of traction. Finally, hop in for a hot lap with our instructors as they put an exclamation point on the day.
Time: 8AM-4PM
Price: $750
Available at Thermal location only. Please note the Summer hours for our Performance Center West location only. Classes in Thermal will begin at 6AM, June 1st through September 30th. Please check your confirmation email for details.
mini stunt driving school
You’re the star in this scene. Begin with autocross basics like the slalom, panic braking and wet skid pad training. After lunch, it’s lights, camera, traction. Practice how to do J-turns into parking spaces using the hand brake to slide, then hold on tight as you feel the exhilaration of the Reverse-Turn, spinning 180 degrees to drive off in the opposite direction. Put your skills together for a timed stunt lap, then hop in with our instructor as they show you some of their skills behind the wheel.
Time: 8:30AM-4PM
Price: $750
Available at Thermal location only. Please note the Summer hours for our Performance Center West location only. Classes in Thermal will begin at 6AM, June 1st through September 30th. Please check your confirmation email for details.
mini manual class
We’re on a mission to save the enjoyment that comes from shifting on your own, and now you can learn to drive a manual transmission on our closed course. After a brief safety intro, you’ll hop in a MINI to learn how to smoothly work the clutch pedal, when to shift gears while accelerating and what to do in emergency braking situations. Put it all together on our autocross track and become a manual master.
Time: 8:30 AM-12 PM (8:15 AM arrival)
Price: $499
Available at Thermal location only.
Course Highlights
forward 180 j-turn
Hit the gas and motor straight, then pull the e-brake, turn the wheel and 180 into a coned-off parking space. Valets will never look at you the same way again.
J-turn
A bootlegger special, the J-turn has you starting out driving in a straight line. Pull the e-brake, cut the wheel, and before you know it, you’ll be pirouetting with ease until the car is pointing 180 degrees from the start. Then, take off in the opposite direction, minus pursuing authority figures.
PANIC BRAKING
Learn to brake hard from speeds up to 55mph while navigating a corner. Sounds easy: it isn’t.
reverse turn
You’ll feel like a real stunt driver after this one. Start driving in a straight line, then pull the e-brake to lock the rear wheels. Do a 180 degree turn, then hit the gas and motor away in the same direction. Wearing cool-looking sunglasses is optional.
WET SKID PAD
Take a literal spin on our polished concrete skid pad. Wet down constantly, the wet polished surface prevents full grip from being achieved, which means under- and oversteer conditions for you, the driver. Perfect for learning how the MINI handles at the limit of adhesion.
HANDLING COURSE
Students will get an overall feel for a MINI as they drive through our handling course. Developing a feel for the limit of traction while accelerating, braking and cornering, it’s an exercise aimed at overall car control.
Mini fun, now in two locations
SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA
Fast turns, a back straight perfect for speed exercises and a polished wet concrete skid pad make our Spartanburg track the perfect place to hone your driving skills.
THERMAL, CALIFORNIA
Set against the backdrop of a beautiful mountain range, The Thermal Club is an exclusive track that offers three unique layouts, plus our own challenge course to encourage maximum thrills.