It hasn’t been more than two days since we showed you the new MINI Coupé and MINI has unveiled the John Cooper Works (JCW) Coupé Endurance version that will slide into the public eye at this year’s 24-hour race at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife circuit, an event with a Hall of Fame that has too many Porsches and BMWs in it.
You have to give it to MINI for having the er.. guts to plonk their new baby into something as gruelling as the 24 Hour Endurance. Drawing from the experience gained from the MINI challenge sprint racing, MINI has come up with the 965 kilogram ( 2127 lbs for some of you ) Coupé with the 1.6-litre four-cylinder unit MINI John Cooper Works engine. Working with a twin-scroll turbocharger and petrol direct injection this powerplant delivers 250 hp, and something MINI calls the ‘Overboost’ function pushes peak torque up to 330 N-m ( 243 foot-pounds for you, again) Top speed is in excess of 240 km/h.
The Coupé which has a much more raked windshield than the hatch, has reduced aerodynamic drag. The adjustable shock absorbers allow the suspension setup to be tuned depending on requirements.
The John Cooper Works Aerodynamics Package further enhances the Coupé’s handling; the front splitter, rear diffuser and adjustable rear wing generate downforce, optimising the balance between the front and rear axle.
Safety features include a roll cage welded to the body, six-point safety belt and Formula One-style HANS (Head And Neck Support) system. The two seats from the Coupé have been thrown out of the window for a single sports bucket seat.
The MINI JCW Endurance Coupé adopts the proven braking system with Race ABS from MINI Challenge racing and adds a specially tuned DSC dynamic control system. A 4 point pneumatic jack is integrated with the chassis, for rapid pitstops.
