Mini_Cooper_Santa_Anita-56

Coinciding with the release of the F56, 2014 has been in a busy year for MINI USA in terms of live events. The last in the series, after the Final Test Test Drive and MINI Takes The States, is the Motoring Challenge. But what is it exactly? Read on to find out.

The Motoring Challenge was a 2-night grassroots effort held respectively in Los Angeles and New York earlier this October. The goal for MINI USA was to have prospective buyers and fans of the brand pit the F56 against competitors. That is, the Fiat 500, the Toyota Prius c, the VW Golf, and the Mercedes-Benz CLA 250.

What made the Motoring Challenge exciting was that participants test-drove these cars in a rather unusual fashion. Drivers raced their vehicles around a giant pintball machine, a scaled-down version of Silverstone and a coned-off getaway course. Unsurprisingly, the MINI outperformed all of its competitors and having a GTI, a Fiesta ST or a 500 Abarth taking part in the contest would have probably made for a more interesting challenge.

While we didn’t have a chance to join the fun, we took the time to interview one of the Los Angeles participants in [Woofcast 528](http://www.whiteroofradio.com/woofcast-528/). Andrea had a really good time and highly recommend it to anyone interested in driving fast, eating, drinking and listening to very loud music.

Speaking of which, will MINI USA reiterate the experience next year? It has yet to be determined but we’ll make sure to let you know if they do.