PressClub United Kingdom · Article.
The MINI Electric Pacesetter inspired by John Cooper Works. The first electric MINI as a FIA Formula E Safety Car.
30.03.2021 Press Release
The MINI Electric Pacesetter inspired by JCW is the new Safety Car for the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship race series. As such, it connects the brand’s electrified future with the rich racing history of John Cooper Works. The car was created out of the new MINI Electric as part of an unprecedented collaboration between MINI Design, BMW Motorsport, the FIA and the Formula E.
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BMW Group
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Helen Wilson
BMW Group
Electric drive meets John Cooper Works.
“We have already shown how well driving fun and electric
mobility go together with the MINI Electric,” says Bernd Körber, Head
of MINI. “However, the MINI Electric Pacesetter inspired by JCW goes
at least a step further and blends the performance character of the
John Cooper Works brand with electric mobility.
This extreme version of the MINI Electric has been developed as
the Safety Car in the Formula E, so is clearly not intended for use on
public roads. But it does reveal one of the directions we could take
with the electrification of the JCW brand. For me, the message is
clear: electrification and John Cooper Works are a good fit.”
Dynamism maximised – the exterior design.
The
exterior of the MINI Electric Pacesetter inspired by JCW has been
purpose-built for life on the track and represents the most dynamic
interpretation yet of a MINI with all-electric power. “The design is
an exciting symbiosis of technical precision and emotion,” explains
Oliver Heilmer, Head of MINI Design. “Here, function dictates form,
and many design elements have been shaped by technical considerations.
For example, we worked closely with our colleagues at BMW
Motorsport to develop the form of the wheel arches and front and rear
aprons, and the optimisation programme for them included weight-saving
measures. This visually striking, technically precise design language
gives the car its pervasive sense of emotional engagement and excitement.”
At the front of the car, classic MINI icons such as the circular
headlights and hexagonal radiator grille create the familiar, easily
recognisable MINI face. At the same time, signature John Cooper Works
elements, such as wheel arches adapted to the car’s track width and
the deep front apron with additional front splitters to the left and
right, enhance the sporting visuals of the front end. The blanked off
“radiator grille” and MINI Electric logo point to the electric “heart”
of the Safety Car.
As virtually no drive system cooling is required through the
upper area of the grille, the front end is largely enclosed to aid
aerodynamics. The only exceptions are the area below the grille and
the eye-catching, almost squared-off apertures for brake cooling. The
Safety Car’s white flashing lights are integrated harmoniously into
the bonnet. Characteristic MINI bonnet stripes extend over the roof to
the rear end.
Showcasing MINI’s racing genes – the flanks.
The
MINI Electric Pacesetter inspired by JCW also cuts an extremely
dynamic figure from the side. The interplay of geometrically
accentuated spats (with carefully placed aero edges) and sporty side
skirts gives the car the appearance of powering forward even before it
turns a wheel. Together with the increased-diameter wheels, which
almost fill the wheel arches, these elements strengthen the
time-honoured MINI “stance on the wheels”. The spats and spoilers are
made – or more precisely 3D printed from recycled carbon fibre – in
Oxford.
Yellow accent lines and surfaces on the aero elements (e.g. the
spats, skirts and rear wing) provide a nod to the airflow optimisation
taking place in these areas and add a visual flourish to the air
deflectors and aero edges. The lightweight 18-inch forged wheels in
bi-colour black-neon/orange design bring significant visual depth and
added intricacy to the four-spoke items from the MINI John Cooper
Works GP.
The respective colour worlds of the MINI Electric and John
Cooper Works brand merge into a single statement here. The main body
colour is a matt silver which extends back beyond the centre-point of
the car. A high-gloss wrap with a two-stage colour gradient – from
Highspeed Orange to Curbside Red metallic – then covers the rest of
the body to the rear.
The contrast between matt and gloss surfaces brings extra
smoothness to the silhouette, while the clear, diagonal separation
lines between the different colours injects further dynamism. On the
flanks, a chequered flag-inspired pattern shares the stage with a
large MINI Electric logo, which can also be found in the radiator
grille, on the roof and at the rear end. The Safety Car brief also
brings regulations-specific and sponsor-related graphics, which add
further visual intensity to the car’s racing character.
Broad and eye-catching – the rear.
The rear end
in black and Curbside Red metallic uses yellow accent surfaces to
extend the eye-catching design language from the front end and flanks,
and makes an extremely modern and dynamic statement. The prominent
roof-mounted rear wing with air through-flow and yellow accent lines
also integrates the signal light unit and was 3D printed at Plant
Oxford. The flared wheel arches accentuate the car’s wide track and
transition seamlessly into the pronounced rear apron. The rear apron
has cut-outs around the wheels, clearing the view to the higher-grip
racing tyres. Between the wheels sits an unadorned diffuser. When the
car is viewed from this angle, the accents in Energetic Yellow and
lack of exhaust tailpipes identify this as a car powered by an
electric drive system.
Reduced to the max – the interior.
The interior
is stripped back to the absolute essentials; only the front seats
remain. The driver’s area consists of a certified seat with six-point
belt approved for both racing and road use, a steering wheel with
minimalist-design carbon fibre impact absorber and a digital
instrument cluster. The central information display makes way for a
carbon fibre cover here to further reduce weight. The centre console
houses the gearshift lever, handbrake and controls for the necessary
signal lights – all in exposed carbon fibre.
The likewise pared-back carbon-fibre door panels with window and
door openers contain cloth straps to make closing the doors easier.
Another central feature of the interior is the welded-in roll cage,
which maximises safety. And the remainder of the stripped-out interior
structure is also painted in typical racing white (for functional reasons).
Bespoke 3D-printed parts for the interior.
The
steering wheel’s minimalist impact absorber and the boost panel on the
right-hand side of the wheel are high-quality, custom-made components,
likewise the centre console cowling and door panelling on the driver’s
side. Another highlight are the removable pads on the sport seat,
which are likewise 3D-printed and whose innovative structure combines
comfort, robustness and modularity. The thickness, hardness and colour
of the pads can be adapted as required according to the physiognomy,
weight and personal taste of the driver at hand.
Ready for the race track, helped by knowhow from BMW
Motorsport.
Behind the visually powerful design of the
MINI Electric Pacesetter inspired by JCW lies the expertise of BMW
Motorsport. Rigorous adherence to lightweight design principles gives
the Safety Car a kerb weight of approx. 1,230 kg – which makes it
approx. 130 kg lighter than the standard MINI Electric.
The drive system – also based on that found in the MINI Electric
– produces 135 kW and 280 Nm (206 lb-ft), which enables the MINI
Electric Pacesetter inspired by JCW to sprint from 0-62 mph in 6.7
seconds (standard model: 7.3 s) and from 0-37 mph in 3.6 seconds
(standard model: 3.9 s). Even more important for a Safety Car, though,
are the mid-range figures. Here, the MINI Electric Pacesetter inspired
by JCW showcases all the talents of its torque-rich electric drive
system with single-speed transmission, enabling a 75 mph time of 4.3
seconds (standard model: 4.6 s).
The drive system teams up with racing coilover suspension
(three-way adjustable for rebound, compression, height and camber) to
deliver maximum go-kart feeling. Race-spec suspension control arm
mountings, a 10 mm increase in track width, plus the four-piston
brakes and wheels from the MINI John Cooper Works GP with Michelin
Pilot Sport tyres (size 245/40 R18) round off the overall package.
Premiere at the Rome E-Prix on 10.04.2021
The
MINI Electric Pacesetter inspired by JCW will come into use in Rome on
10 April 2021 at the second event (Race 3) of Formula E’s 2021 season.
At the wheel will be official Formula E Safety Car driver Bruno
Correia, as BMW i Andretti Motorsport drivers Maximilian Guenther
(GER) and Jake Dennis (GBR) battle it out for victory in their BMW
iFE.21 racers.
“Agility, performance and a cool looking car. The MINI Electric
Pacesetter Safety Car of FIA Formula E World Championship has got it
all. Very fun to drive, it feels like karting”, said Correia.
Ends
The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI,
Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading
premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides
premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production
network comprises 31 production and assembly facilities in 15
countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
In 2020, the BMW Group sold over 2.3 million passenger vehicles
and more than 169,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in
the financial year 2019 was € 7.118 billion on revenues amounting to €
104.210 billion. As of 31 December 2020, the BMW Group had
a
workforce of 120,726 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term
thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established
ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain,
comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment
to
conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.
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MINI Press Office Contacts:
Helen
Wilson
Senior Press Officer, BMW & MINI
Communications
Tel: 07815 372480
Email: Helen.Wilson@bmw.co.uk
Georgina
Cox
MINI
Media Relations Manager
Tel: 07815
370878
Email: Georgina.Cox@mini.co.uk
Emma Begley
General Manager, Product and Internal
Communications
Tel: 07815 371062
Email: Emma.Begley@bmw.co.uk
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Corporate Communications
Director
Tel: 07815 376867
Email: Graham.Biggs@bmw.co.uk
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