A specially prepared Mini John Cooper Works Hardtop is set to enter the 2022 24 Hours of Nürburgring, Mini said on Tuesday.
It will be the first time that Mini has directly participated in the grueling endurance race since 2011, when it competed with a race car based on the discontinued Coupe model.
For this year's race, Mini will enter its JCW Hardtop in the SP3T class, designed for modified cars with turbocharged engines displacing no more than 2.0 liters. The Mini's engine is a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 rated at 302 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque, and the transmission of choice is an 8-speed automatic.
Modifications for racing, prepared with the help of Germany's Bulldog Racing, include a roll cage, enlarged fuel tank (now 26.4 gallons), weight-saving measures, adjustable suspension (rebound and compression), air jacks, reinforced ball bearings, upgraded brakes, and a high-flow exhaust. There's also no missing the new aerodynamic mods which include an adjustable rear wing, a covered underbody, and a new rear diffuser and front splitter.
The 2022 24 Hours of Nürburgring will run the weekend starting May 28, and Mini is yet to say who it has picked for the driver lineup.
