Mini has announced its return to the Nürburgring 24 Hours next month. In the 50th edition of the grueling endurance race, the British marque will champion an enormous new rear wing in the SP3T class.
Oh, and a 300hp Mini John Cooper Works attached to the rest of it.
The project began last year at Bulldog Racing “just a few meters away from the Nordschleife,” and took just seven months from start to finish. It takes as its base a JCW with the 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo unit kicking out 300 horsies and 449Nm of torque.
There’s an eight-speed gearbox taken from “large-series-production,” together with a mechanical diff lock with locking effect of up to 70%. Naturally, there’s more to it, as you can’t quite plainly see.
Deep breath: There’s a 100-liter fuel tank (obviously), a covered underbody, lightweight windows, racing suspension with adjustable dampers, reinforced chassis and suspension joints, a sports exhaust, and BMW M Performance brake calipers.
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Other things you can quite plainly see include a rollcage, a new front splitter that likely doubles up as a snow plow in the winter (or during the 24-hour race, which typically sees all seasons in one day), a new rear diffuser, and that adjustable rear wing. To whomever is responsible for adjusting that rear wing: Time to hit the gym.
Though, the wing will be getting a decent workout, too. Bulldog Racing boss Friedhelm Thelen said: “The 24-hour race at the Nürburgring puts all components of the vehicle under extreme stress. That’s why we’re delighted to be able to use the BMW Group Test Center to put the John Cooper Works through its paces there.”
That test center is in Miramas in southern France, where BMW has “been testing new models and innovative chassis technology” since 1986. Model technology like...Minis with wings able to take flight?
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
