Mini unveils latest JCW race car ahead of N24
Following its class win last year, Mini will return to the Nürburgring with established partner Bulldog Racing
We’re quite partial to Mini’s efforts to take the JCW hatch racing - specifically with regard to its recent efforts at the 24 Hours at the Nürburgring, a sufficiently bonkers (German) event to play host to a car that, historically speaking, has always seemed bonkers in a sufficiently British way. There are other reasons: for one thing, the first attempt was a genuinely grassroots endeavour that only caught a BMW tailwind through its brand-savvy race team. John H had a go in the car back in 2022, and his description of the backstory is worth a read if you’ve got the prerequisite fifteen minutes to spare.
If you don’t, suffice it to say the team was as scrappy as the Bulldog Racing Team name suggested, and it resulted in a decent showing at N24. The following year it did even better (not least because they actually finished), securing second place in their class. But last year it all came together: victory in the ‘nearing production’ SP-3T classification and another notch on the metaphorical bedpost for a brand which has enjoyed outsized success in motorsport through the years.
Granted, 2024 did see N24 cut short due to impossibly foggy conditions, and the SP-3T class is not inundated with entries anyway - a quick trip to Wikipedia suggests that just five teams took up the challenge last year - but you can only beat what’s in front of you, and the Mini Cooper JCW Pro did just that. Unsurprisingly then, it’s back again for another shot at class honours in 2025 with another racing car that closely resembles the updated F66 model you can now buy in showrooms.
It is likely indicative of BMW’s interest in the exercise that its press release wastes no time at all on the technical alternations (we’ll assume, as before, the powertrain is familiar and chassis breathed on and the interior mostly gone) and instead lauds its new collaboration with DEUS Ex Machina at length. The latter is fond of suggesting that it is more of a philosophy than a brand (though mostly, it sells clothes) so you can see why Mini likes the association. And, in fairness, the black and white colour scheme has resulted in arguably the best-looking version of the JCW Pro yet. We’ll find out if that counts for anything on June 21st.
I hear a lot about more Tq and far less about downgrade to 2 pot calipers, in theory the new car is lots faster
According to some previous pr release
But are they comparing apples with oranges? 3 ring laps back to back
Needs same wheels/tyres same day, same driver & conditions etc,
I’m not entirely convinced ..there are modified R56 built 15 years ago lapping far faster than the last bulldog competition laps ( equally not within the class restrictions obviously)
Be far more interesting to see if the “improved car” is available for the mini challenge next year ….
Or I suspect there is / will be push-back from the race teams to adopt a new ( same) platform and associated costs…if the interior is out ..you have removed the USP of the new platform…?
My gut feeling backed up by my wallet and buying a 22 plate stick shift, is the new platform is more about interior style than outside substance…I say this as an official party badged Luddite,
But based on my own experience my 2014 F56SD dealer optioned full leather show car had a far higher quality feel than the current F66 generation cars….sun-roof you cannot open being one of many niggles
Absolutely spot on the F56 JCW is by far the better car , the F66 JCW being a cost cutting excercise by MINI.
Deleting the manual is a tragic mistake, immediately cutting your market for the car significantly at a time when MINI would have the market for a hot hatch virtually to themselves at the mid £30k price point.
I wander if MINI ever bothered to actually speak to there exsisting customers and asked what they wanted, doubt they ever did which I think is a missed opportunity given the car’s incredible history.
Just the thoughts of a loyal customer supporting the Oxford plant for 22 years and Rover before that.
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