The hills are alive with the sound of fun: a MINI adventure in the Alps

There are a handful of places in the world that occupy every car enthusiast’s head full of dreams. The Nürburgring, the Pacific Coast Highway, Japan’s touge roads, just to name a few. 

But you can’t talk about a dream road trip without talking about the Alps, the fabled mountain range ribboned with tarmac and set against stunning scenery. And thanks to MINI, I finally got to experience them.

An invitation arrived from MINI Singapore to travel to Innsbruck, Austria, for the chance to experience the MINI model range on a curated road trip itinerary that would cover some of the best driving roads in the Alpine mountain range. Obviously, I said yes. 

I couldn't stop myself from pulling over every two minutes to take a photo.

Fifteen hours of flying and a two-hour drive from Munich Flughafen later, the glorious peaks of the Alps hove into view as another lucky Singaporean journo and I arrived in Innsbruck. Located in an Alpine valley, Innsbruck is the fifth-largest city in Austria and known as the “capital of the Alps”, the perfect place to begin our journey.

We were to collect our cars from a MINI dealership in Innsbruck, and when given the choice of just about any MINI from the lineup, I chose a John Cooper Works 3-door, the spiciest MINI of the lot. 

This was a pretty easy choice for me because when I think of European roads and Alpine passes, I think narrow (which was very accurate) and full of tight turns (also very accurate), both scenarios in which I felt the short-wheelbase JCW 3-door would excel. And boy, was I right. 

The small and spicy JCW 3-door was quite the road trip partner for an Alpine adventure.

Barely 20 minutes away from the dealership, we entered the first of many little hamlets we’d drive through on this epic 500km-long road trip. Every one looked straight out of a postcard, and for this writer on his virgin European trip, every last one was a sight to behold. 

When roads look like they've been draped over the hillside, you know you're going to have a good day.

Idyllic villages aside, the real appeal came as we ascended towards Kühtai, the first stop on our Alpine adventure. As we drove further into the mountain range, the roads became twistier and the scenery more dramatic. Hamlets were replaced by ski resorts, valleys by mountain peaks, and of course, village streets by beautifully winding ribbons of tarmac. 

I’ve driven the MINI JCW 3-door in Singapore before, and it was enjoyable for sure, but that might as well have been a drop in the ocean compared to how it shone in the Alps. The car absolutely came alive. 

It ran headlong at the never-ending stream of crests, undulations, hairpins, sweepers, and straights, and lapped it all up with gusto. The MINI’s firm yet pliable ride meant the car was never unsettled over road imperfections, while still maintaining enough stiffness to keep it cornering flat and delivering unrivalled dynamism. 

As someone with a lot of experience in driving front-wheel drive cars fast (all my racecars are front-wheel drive), I know exactly how I like my car to handle, and the MINI gets it spot on.

The way the rear of the car unloads under braking to aid rotation is crisp and easy to predict, which meant I could throw the car through the narrow passes with confidence and full awareness of how the car would react.

The turn in of the JCW 3-door is direct, helped in no small way by the short wheelbase, giving the car an agility which allowed it to flit through the endless corners like a mountain goat. Or should I say, a chamois, since we’re in the Alps. 

It didn’t take long for me to feel at one with the car, effortlessly guiding this miniature missile through roads and past vistas that looked like the stock footage you get from a National Geographic documentary. I hit, as the kids say, flow state. And it was bliss.

An overnight halt deep in the Alps near Racines, Italy, was just what the doctor ordered after a full day of spirited driving. In true European fashion, the wooden lodge we stayed in had no air-conditioning, which proved to be no issue at all with the crisp Alpine air providing an excellent respite from the heatwave that was assaulting the rest of Europe.

If there was a depiction of the word “serenity” in the dictionary, then the view from my bed as I woke up would be it. Think the soft glow of sunshine, birdsong, and a babbling brook. If only I could wake up like this every day, I’d be much less cranky methinks. 

The MINI family showing off outside our hotel in Racines, Italy. Bella machina!

Oh well, at least the rest of my day was set to be a core memory too. Lined up in formation in the hotel carpark were our choices of MINIs for the return trip to Munich. There were Acemans (Acemen?) and Coopers in many variants, but I had chosen something perhaps a little unusual. 

Dramatic views atop the Timmelsjoch, one of the famed mountain passes in the Alps.

I sprung for the JCW Countryman, the largest car in the fleet. That might sound a little strange since I just waxed lyrical big time about the smallness of the JCW 3-door and how perfectly suited it was for these roads. However, it is precisely because of that that I chose the Countryman. I wanted to see if that MINI spirit carries over into their least-mini MINI, especially in an environment that rewards mini-ness.

I also had never driven a JCW Countryman up to this point, so I figured this would be the best chance to see how it drove. Straight away, you do notice that this is a much bigger car than the JCW 3-door, but that’s to be expected. You do also notice quickly the extra 300 kilos or so that the Countryman has over the hatchback, and I wondered if that would hamper the playful nature a MINI should possess.

Despite the extra bulk, though, the Countryman still proved to be highly impressive at tackling the twisties. In fact, I’d say that if you wanted to take an Alpine road trip but had a family and/or lots of luggage in tow, the JCW Countryman should be your first choice because the essence of what makes a MINI enjoyable is still present in a big way.

Just like its smaller brother, the Countryman still feels agile and eager, goading you to keep chasing the curves. If the JCW 3-door was an energetic terrier, then the JCW Countryman is like a bounding labrador, exuding loads of energy in a playful, excitable manner. 

My Countryman was finished in Blazing Blue, which was a stunning option and provided excellent contrast against the mountains.

While the JCW 3-door was prone to spinning up its inside tyre when getting on the loud pedal, the Countryman’s ALL4 all-wheel drive system gives it excellent traction to lay down all 300 horsepower and 400 torques, launching you, your family, and your luggage down the road. 

And when the next bend arrives, the Countryman is no slouch here either. With remarkable stopping power, it can shed off the speed with ease and without worry of any brake fade. On day one of our drive, I was chasing fellow Singaporean journo, Azfar, who was driving the same Countryman. 

He reported that even after a solid hour of bombing up and down and around the Alpine passes, there was no loss in braking performance at all. And since I didn’t lose my brakes and tumble down an Alp, I too can report that the brakes on the JCW Countryman hold up exceedingly well even with enthusiastic driving.

Did not realise how big a drop it was off the end, but thanks to the brakes on the JCW Countryman, I didn't have to find out!

Sadly, as with all good things, our route eventually led us out of the Alps and onto the main highways as we had to drive back to Munich to return the keys. Disappointed as I was to leave the gorgeous mountains behind, driving through Germany meant I’d be able to test one last aspect of the car before I had to give it back. Speed.

While not all autobahns are derestricted, we thankfully had some sections of autobahn on our route that had no speed limit. When you hear the words “no speed limit” as one so often does about the autobahn, you might expect speed demons rocketing past you at all hours of the day. 

Big smiles!

Well, it really isn’t like that. Due to traffic and roadworks and prevailing conditions, you’re quite often travelling at very ordinary speeds. However, when the stars align and the roads clear, you can absolutely put the pedal to the metal and stretch your car’s legs, which is exactly what I did.

In short bursts, the JCW Countryman’s 300hp surged me well above 200km/h with rock-solid stability. Even at those speeds, there was no nervousness through the wheel or any sense that the car was out of its comfort zone. The Countryman simply settled into its stride as though it was pootling around town.

The occasional straight provided chances to stretch the Countryman's legs, with the scenery making it feel like I was in a movie scene.

I hit a personal “high score” of 240km/h, thanks to the car’s reassuring stability and composure giving me the confidence to keep my foot planted, leaving me with no reason to doubt its claimed 250km/h top speed.

As I pulled into BMW AG’s press fleet building, I had a moment to reflect on what an epic two days I’d just had. As breathtaking as the Alps were, the scenery alone isn't what made this trip unforgettable. Roads as spectacular as the ones I drove through deserve a car that encourages you to seek out every corner rather than simply arrive at the next viewpoint, and that's exactly what MINI delivered. 

Whether it was the delightfully cheeky JCW 3-door darting from switchback to switchback, or the surprisingly capable JCW Countryman devouring mountain passes with equal enthusiasm, both cars embodied the same playful character that has always defined the brand.

More big smiles!

It's easy to think of "smiles per mile" as just another marketing slogan, but after 500 kilometres across some of the world's greatest driving roads, it felt less like a tagline and more like a promise kept. 

Every perfectly judged corner, every crackle from the exhaust, every stunning vista beyond the windshield reminded me that the best road trips aren't measured by how far you travel, but by how much you enjoy every metre along the way. And thanks to MINI, I left the Alps with a camera full of photos, a head full of memories, and a grin I simply couldn’t wipe off my face.

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