MINI Leasing Challenge Champions!

Abbie Mandry, Marketing Assistant and Pierre Yernaux, Employee Engagement Executive at Tusker took part in the MINI leasing challenge for 2025. Hear from them on how they found the challenge, what were their key features of the brand-new MINI Aceman SE John Cooper Works edition and who won the challenge…

First pitstop – Starbucks Checkley Wood (approx. 45 miles)

After setting off from the MINI Plant Factory in Oxford, the first pitstop of the trip was to Starbucks Checkley Wood (for those who caught up with the EV Rally on our socials, this one may look quite familiar…) The journey was filled with countryside views, lanes and a short distance on the dual carriageway, a lovely scenic route with an added stop on a field where they took their team picture for some challenge points. They were able to really put MINI’s new campaign ‘grab the corners’ to the test with twisty roads and sharp bending corners, Abbie shares, “The Aceman didn’t disappoint in its strong handling, it does make you feel as though you’re in a sporty, racing car at times!”

Surrounded by ginormous wind farms and a host of charging points, Checkley Wood was the perfect resting spot to stop for EV drivers who are travelling around this area. Team Tusker took advantage of the GoKart feature, which transforms your Aceman into a GoKart simulation from the dashboard dials to the sporty background soundtrack within the car, not forgetting the added acceleration and rapid speed. As you can imagine, this made the Aceman a little tired, so the team topped up its charge whilst they grabbed a quick drink and played their first mini challenge, BlackJack with the Aceman.

Next Stop – Stanwick Lakes and Nature Reserve (approx. 42 miles)

After setting off for their next destination, the team took the motorway this time which allowed them to test drive the MINI Aceman, with 2 sets of track designs. Pierre commented; “the Aceman makes motorway driving actually enjoyable!” The motorway gives the driver a true chance at testing out the acceleration on this EV, and for our Tusker team this was an impressive performance. The MINI Aceman provides a quick hit of power, allowing the driver to get into lanes and accelerate safely and quickly and with the long strips of road, this gives you a chance to put the speed to the test, with the MINI Aceman John Cooper Works SE accelerating from 0-62mph in 6.4 seconds, you’ll have no excuse at being late with this car!

There were some standout safety features and highlights on the car which the team were keen to share.  The Intelligent Speed Assistance warning which lets you know when you’re over the speed limit,  also appears on your MINI Head-Up Display for clear visibility, which is a great addition, as was the MINI driving assistant. You’ll find on your rear view mirror  a yellow triangular light pop up which alerts you when a vehicle is too close to your vehicle in your blind spot for you to pull out or switch lanes. They also help prevent accidents in the rear (e.g. by warning approaching traffic by flashing the MINI’s hazard lights) and together with the driving assistant, they control the vehicle itself as it will actively support steering your MINI back into the lane and slow the car down if you’re getting too close to another vehicle/if another vehicle breaks harshly in front. This a great safety feature known as automatic emergency braking.

At the lakes, it was very busy due to the Easter break, so there were a lot of cars, people and tight spaces. The MINI’s high-technology driving assistant gives the driver a real peace of mind when approaching these, potentially, stressful situations. The MINI Aceman is fitted with a 360 camera which pops up on the left and on the right with a larger screen showcasing the reverse camera with sensor squares which range from green (safe distance), orange (tighter distance to an obstruction) and red (close to an obstruction, you must stop the car when this colour shows). The 360 feature allows you to see where your car fits within a space and also gives you an idea of how close the vehicle is to a wall, car, curbs helping to protect its large alloy wheels from damage or any other obstructions.  The auto folding mirrors protect your EV getting damaged by opening doors or tight spaces. However, the coolest feature must be the remote parking using the MINI smartphone app. On the app, your all-electric Aceman can automatically drive itself into a suitable space while you watch from a distance. Very cool!

Final pitstop – Rutland Hotel

After a day full of adventure and MINI challenges, the teams headed to their final pitstop, Rutland Hotel. Before their departure, team Tusker used the in-car camera selfie feature, which is positioned in the headliner, to create their creative pictures based on their countryside journey to be entered into the challenge. For bonus points, the teams had to come up with a carpool karaoke and make it MINI, this was second-nature for team Tusker as we’re pretty much infamous for our Tuskeroke over the past 25 years! Abbie and Pierre used the in-car camera feature to film their hilarious carpool karaoke, which was presented at the awards ceremony later that evening.

The drive to Rutland was a mixture of motorways and country roads, with a lot of bendy lanes and chances for further acceleration with huge lakes alongside them. The MINI Aceman demonstrated a strong performance and the regenerative braking was the perfect addition for the changes in speed throughout this trip, with a bonus of charging the EV every time the car slowed down. With such an easy drive, Abbie and Pierre put the premium branded Harman Kardon sound system boasting 10 speakers and a generous 315 Watt output to the test which created a fun, energetic journey amongst the slow-moving environment around them. The bass was booming, and the sound quality was high performing, providing a clear and punchy experience.

At the awards ceremony, along with the challenges they completed throughout the day utilising the unique and exciting features of the brand-new all-electric MINI Aceman and smashing it out the park with their “rock this party” Tuskeroke, they were crowned the winners of the 2025 MINI leasing challenge!! Well done Abbie and Pierre on bringing the trophy home for team Tusker.

The best features for our drivers

To round this off, we asked them what their top features of the MINI Aceman were and if they’d drive this EV again:

Abbie shared, “Absolutely, I found this car such an enjoyable drive and the added safety you get with this vehicle is fantastic. There’s too many features that I loved for me to choose from, but I’d say the let’s celebrate feature was really enjoyable (my 9 year old brother wanted this played on repeat as well!), I loved how when you get in the car you have a welcome message and the MINI ringtone to welcome you into your car alongside your music continuing to play as you leave the vehicle as if it’s sending you off and out of the party! The in-car camera selfie has got to be my favourite feature out of them all, I’ve not seen this in many other EV’s and I think it’s a lovely feature to have on there to capture your best trips, have some fun and this would be a fantastic option for social media employees, influencers or people who just like to share their journeys with others, especially when you’re charging!”

Pierre shared; “My favourite feature of the MINI Aceman is the sleek design and the different experiences you get with the multiple driving modes. Every feature had its own personal touch and really gives you that MINI feeling.

He continued, it really does feel like a go kart at times! The car is rapid, and it hits the power so quickly! Its such a fun unique drive and this is certainly a vehicle I will recommend to my drivers.”