Mini John Cooper Works debut slated at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring

The highly anticipated new MINI John Cooper Works will be making its first public appearance at the gruelling 24 Hours of Nürburgring, one of the toughest endurance races in the world. This marks a significant moment for MINI, showcasing both innovation and a connection to its motorsport heritage.

The Nürburgring race car will be a petrol-powered model adorned with a special camouflage design, a tribute to the iconic red and white colour schemes used on classic Minis in 1960s motorsports. When the new MINI John Cooper Works is officially unveiled later this year, it will be available in both petrol and all-electric versions, catering to a wider range of performance enthusiasts.

The #317 car will be a collaborative effort between MINI and Nürburg-based team Bulldog Racing. This “MINI John Cooper Works PRO” race car will compete in the SP3T category, leveraging both MINI’s design and reliability alongside Bulldog Racing’s extensive track experience.

Joining the #317 car will be the familiar black MINI John Cooper Works #474 with a manual transmission. This car has already proven its capabilities by securing a podium finish in last year’s 24 Hours of Nürburgring within the VT-2 category. Its presence further emphasises the MINI John Cooper Works’ potential as a formidable contender in endurance racing.

With the 24 Hours of Nürburgring set for June 1st to June 2nd, 2024, MINI fans and automotive enthusiasts alike can anticipate an exciting display of the New MINI John Cooper Works’ performance. This race will provide valuable insights into the capabilities of the upcoming production model.

A few months back, Mini also used its collaboration with Bulldog racing to reveal the new Mini logo on its JCW race car. The new John Cooper Works logo features a waving chequered flag along with the “John Cooper Works” branding, where Works is finished in red. In the race, the Mini Cooper JCW with a six-speed manual finished 53rd out of 158 cars competing in the race. In the category of cars between 1500cc and 2000cc, the Mini finished 13th out of 23 cars.

Amit Saraswat: