MINI has more than just cute little cars that zip around the city streets. The off-road cred of these cars has been upped recently as they took four of the top five finishing positions at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.

The race was part of the 2016 FIA Cross Country World Cup, and indicates that this may be a strong and auspicious start for the MINI-sponsored teams. One of the many people involved in the team’s efforts was none other than superstar Bryce Menzies, well known for his exploits in the American and Baja deserts, and now in league with rally drivers in Europe, Asia, and Africa.

“It was very challenging for the first couple of days,” said Menzies. “[We got] stuck twice. If it wasn’t for these mistakes, we would have done really well. Overall, it felt really good to be in the MINI ALL4 Racing, learning what it can do and what it can take. Despite feeling ill for the last couple of days, the race was a real blast.”

Fellow MINI teammates included Saudi Arabian Yazeed Al Rajhi and German Timo Gottschalk, who managed to take second place for round two overall, as well as finishing in the top five at every stage of the race. “It is not an easy rally,” said Al Rajhi. “There are a lot of risks in the dunes because of the steep drops and the sand. We managed it well and controlled our race to achieve the position.”

It’s times like these that we wish teleporters existed, because we would be out there in the Middle East in a heartbeat just to see what these micro machines can do in the desert. We extend congratulations to Menzies, Al Rajhi, Gottschalk and all the rest who ran hard to get these podium finishes.