The high-powered Cheetahs set a new try-scoring record as they cruised to a Super Rugby 41-21 victory over the Rebels to move level on points with the third-placed Stormers.
The Cheetahs got the five tries they required to set a new single-season record for the club as they took their overall tally to 35.
Three of them came in the first half as the Bloemfontein side took a firm grip on the game and never relinquished it.
However, they ended the game short-handed with Ryno Benjamin red-carded for a late headbutt.
A knock-on had ended what looked like a try-scoring move for the Cheetahs in the eighth minute but they crossed the line for the first time three minutes later instead, with a quick pass from a scrum allowing Corne Uys to race over.
They added another eight minutes later when Luke Rooney's kick was charged down and Benjamin broke to score behind the posts, giving Sias Ebersohn an easy conversion.
However, the Rebels had a new trick up their sleeve as they looked to be forming a maul following a line-out, but instead Ged Robinson raced free to score easily.
Having made the breakthrough, the Rebels briefly looked like threatening, but the Cheetahs gave themselves breathing room before half-time as Adriaan Strauss powered through for the third try.
The Rebels made a bright start to the second half, but failed to make it pay and instead fell further behind when Ebersohn nailed a penalty in the 46th minute.
The visitors had a chance to respond with a penalty of their own moments later, but Richard Kingi missed.
That allowed Ebersohn to make it 27-7 when Ebersohn scored his second penalty in the 50th minute.
The Rebels were not ready to give up, however, and Mark Gerrard's 57th-minute try brought them back into the game.
But their renewed hope would not last long. Although Ebersohn missed a penalty on the hour mark, just moments later the Cheetahs got their bonus point as some swift hands freed Uys to score in the corner.
Strauss bagged his second try in the 67th minute as the Rebels' challenge ran out of steam, with the visitors electing to virtually empty their bench.
With six minutes to go, Benjamin was red-carded for a headbutt, with Stirling Mortlock seeing yellow for his reaction.
With one minutes to, the Rebels were awarded a penalty try as Riaan Viljoen was yellow-carded, and Kingi added the conversion to close the final gap to 20 points.