The 50th edition of the 24-hour Nürburgring race will take place from 26 to 29 May, 2022. This year, Mini will enter a specially designed John Cooper Works - a race car that pays homage to the racing tradition Mini brand and its 1960s racing cars in red and white. 2022 will also mark Mini's return to the race after an absence of 10 years.
2022 MINI John Cooper Works 24h Race Nürburgring
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- Model: 2022 MINI John Cooper Works 24h Race Nürburgring
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What makes the MINI John Cooper Works 24h Race Nürburgring special?
For the race version, the standard John Cooper Works had to be modified to comply with the SP3T class regulations. First of all, the exterior was modified to be more aerodynamic. It received an adjustable rear wing, a completely covered underbody, a rear diffuser, and a front splitter. The window panes were replaced by Makrolon ones in order to help reduce the body weight, while the interior was updated with a special racing cage. The fuel tank volume was also increased to 100 liters in order to reduce the number of stops.
The race car is also equipped with a model-specific racing suspension with adjustable rebound and compression damping, while all the moving chassis and suspension parts were replaced with reinforced Uniball bearings. Mini also installed a pneumatic lifting unit and original BMW M Performance brake components. The sports exhaust system was also updated with a racing catalytic converter.
Being based on the Mini John Cooper Works, the race car will be powered by the same four-cylinder engine that delivers a total of 306 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque. The engine is mated to an eight-speed Steptronic gearbox with an integrated, mechanical differential lock.
The model will be put to intense testing in the next few weeks at both Nürburgring and at the BMW Group testing center in Miramas in southern France. Also, in the next few weeks, we will also find out who will drive the car during the competition.