The 24 Hours of Endurance at the Nürburgring is considered the ultimate endurance test for humans and machines. The 50th edition of the High Speed Showdown will take place on 26-29 May this year at the 25.378 km circuit, which consists of a Grand Prix circuit and the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife, which this year also took part in the MINI John Cooper Works.
In September 2021, the project was launched at Bulldog Racing in the Eiffel region, just a few meters from the Nord Ring Road. The base vehicle is the 4-cylinder turbo engine model of MINI John Cooper Works Clubman and MINI John Cooper Works Countryman, which has a maximum power of 306 hp and is equipped with an integrated mechanical differential lock in an integrated 8-speed Steptronic transmission with an up to 70% locking effect, ensuring that drive torque translates into powerful performance without any loss.
For racing purposes, the original MINI John Cooper Works had to be modified, the racing roll cage developed specifically for this model was installed, the fuel tank volume was increased to 100 litres, the aerodynamics were optimized and the weight was continuously reduced, for example by using polycarbonate window glass, the installation of a specific type of racing suspension with adjustable rebound and compression damping, the replacement of the chassis and suspension components with reinforced single ball bearings, the installation of pneumatic lifting devices, The sports exhaust system features a racing catalytic converter and is fitted with the original BMW M Performance brake components.
We all know that Pat Moss made the history of motorsport in 1962, winning the first international rally victory for MINI at the Tulip Rally. Her victory marked the beginning of Classic Mini's unique success story in rally, winning three Monte Carlo rally championships in 1964 (Paddy Hopkirk), 1965 (Timo Makinen) and 1967 (Launo Altonen).
The series, of course, also includes six Dakar rally winners in 2012 (Leonid Novitskiy), 2013 (Stéphane Peterhansel), 2014 (Nani Roma), 2015 (Nasser Al-Attiyah), 2020 (Carlos Sainz Sr.) and 2021 (Stéphane Peterhansel).