MINI John Cooper Works Coupe Endurance Race Car Set to Take on the Nurburgring
Having just unveiled the new Cooper Coupe, MINI is looking to drive home the car’s performance message by competing with a race-prepped version of the two-door at this weekend’s Nurburgring 24 Hour race.
Prepped for race duty the John Cooper Works Coupe Endurance race car gets all the usual equipment like a serious roll cage and a stripped out interior with just one big Recaro race seat. In all, the weight savings totals over 500 lbs compared to the street-going machine, weighing under 2,200 lbs, compared to 2,735 lbs for the road-going version.
The weight reduction will help the Coupe perform better in all areas, while a bump in horsepower will help pull the MINI out of the apexes and down the straights. In total, the turbocharged 1.6-liter now makes 247-hp and 243 lb-ft of torque, compared to 208-hp and 207 lb-ft in the stock JCW model.
Aerodynamic upgrades are also a part of the package with that unmistakably massive adjustable rear wing and huge rear diffuser, while the windshield has been angled 13 percent downward to reduce drag. As for the suspension, it’s been donated by the MINI Challenge race.
MINI will field two JCW Endurance race cars during this weekend’s 39th running of the Nurburgring 24, with both models competing in the SP 3T class.
GALLERY: MINI John Cooper Works Endurance Race Car
With AutoGuide from its launch, Colum previously acted as Editor-in-Chief of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine where he became a certifiable car snob driving supercars like the Koenigsegg CCX and racing down the autobahn in anything over 500 hp. He has won numerous automotive journalism awards including the Best Video Journalism Award in 2014 and 2015 from the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Colum founded Geared Content Studios, VerticalScope's in-house branded content division and works to find ways to integrate brands organically into content.
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