Doesn’t time fly when you’re having fun? Already my JCW has been with us six months but it seems like half that. It’s even harder to believe that the Mini is 50 this year. To celebrate this momentous achievement Mini held a huge birthday gathering at Silverstone over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend. Called Mini United, it attracted over 25,000 owners and enthusiasts from 40 different countries, and I was one of them.

Every model of Mini was on show, from the earliest late-’50s models to three new special editions launched at the event, and there was no shortage of entertainment, including live music (Paul Weller, Calvin Harris), Mini racing and even the opportunity to drive your own car on the track that has hosted the British Grand Prix for over 20 years. Needless to say I jumped at the chance to do that…

Also on offer was driver training. You could practise sensible stuff like lane changing and accident avoidance, but I chose the more exciting braking and J-turn lesson. The braking tests really opened my eyes to how much you can shorten your stopping distances if you’re comfortable with really leaning on the middle pedal, and while I would like to be able say that the J-turn training taught me all about the control and poise of the Mini, I really just felt like a hooligan in an empty car park. And I loved it.

The racing came courtesy of the German Mini Challenge Cup, and it was interesting to discover that the cars competing in this championship are virtually the same as my JCW, just stripped out and with a roll-cage, bigger brakes, a modified exhaust, a rear diffuser and a tweaked ECU. In other words, everything that my car needs to be that bit different, to mark it out as a range-topper. Watch this space…

Wandering around the stands and car parks you could see an almost infinite number of unique Minis, from the original Italian Job cars to stretch limo versions of the modern Cooper. It really showed the passion people still have for this iconic car, which probably explains why the whole weekend seemed like a huge success. With enthusiasm for the new ‘BMW Minis’ appearing to be just as strong as it is for the classic models, I’m sure we will still be loving these little(ish) cars in another 50 years.

Silverstone wasn’t the only track attacked by my Mini this month. In mid-May, a few days before Mini United, the first of this year’s ever-popular evo track evenings took place at the Bedford Autodrome. This was my first opportunity to try the JCW on track and the experience couldn’t have been more different to the one I had last trackday season, when I was running our old Volvo C30 T5 long-termer. Back then excessive roll and insufficient grip were real problems, but the Mini suffers from neither. It felt keen, quick and grippy, the throttle responsive, the brakes simply refusing to fade.

In fact, with the Mini so clearly on my side I felt that I was really progressing as a driver. Lap after lap I was getting better at keeping the understeer in check and learning to correct the occasional slide. I’m not pretending to be Lewis Hamilton, but everything started to click. This car gives you the confidence to push your limits.
I really do love the JCW. Every day in the office I bang on about its attributes, and outside work friends and, well, anyone else who will listen gets an earful too. There is one thing about the JCW that could be improved, though: the seats. They’re fine for everyday roundabout surfing or back-road runs, but on track I wanted something a bit snugger. Now where did I put that accessories catalogue?