A couple of tollgates later, we point the Roadster’s nose towards winding stretches of tarmac just outside Alverca Do Ribatejo. Several full lock turns down the road soon wake the Roadster up. Though hardly docile at cruising speed, the fun and excitement prominent in Mini’s pre-event reading material is now smiling cheekily at us.
Launching ourselves into corners, we find neither understeer nor oversteer. The active rear spoiler helps glue the rears firmly to the sometimes broken road surface. Mild bodyroll in some of the larier stretches aside, confidence rises with every passing dip of the horizon.
Even mid-corner, assertive high revving allows us to hit apexes when low-traffic permits, the equally impressive brakes remedying any over-ambition. Again, the rears refuse to budge.
Despite the open roof and excitable driving, engine noise is surprisingly remote. That is until, gliding through one hairpin, we catch the unmistakable dual-exhaust burble on overrun. Corner speed is temporarily forgotten while we re-play this soundtrack.
