Two-seat Mini returns with JCW Bulldog Racing Edit
The latest Mini GP wasn't great - could a JCW prepped by racers be more the ticket?
You’d be forgiven for not knowing about a Mini milestone at the most recent Nurburgring 24 Hours, but something notable was achieved by the #126 Bulldog Racing JCW. It came home 76th, or second in it VT2 Front class, the best ever finish for a Mini in a 24-hour race. Not exactly Monte Carlo glory, sure, but as motorsport seemingly becomes less and less important to Mini it’s nice to now the racecars can still cut it.
To mark the occasion, the Bulldog Racing Edition has been created. Predictably enough it’s not quite as extreme as the competition vehicle, however there’s a lot of worthwhile modifications included. We all know just how well all Minis, be they modern or classic, can respond to tuning. And how popular the endeavour is. So why wouldn’t Bulldog have a crack?
The 2.0-litre turbo four is untouched, but 231hp always felt like enough in a Mini, and it certainly became no more exciting with over 300hp in the GP. Encouragingly, the six-speed manual is standard fit. The focus for this special edition has instead been on the chassis, which seems appropriate for a car that celebrates doing so well on the Nordschleife. To that end it gets two-way adjustable KW V3 dampers, with a setup signed off by Bulldog’s pros on the ‘ring. There’s also a Remus exhaust to give the engine a bit more voice, and the rear seat has been removed, replaced by a strut brace and mesh. Which again seems fitting for a racy Mini, as all the GPs have been two seaters.
The wheel and tyre combo is interesting, handsome 17-inch OZ HyperGTs sat on Pirelli P Zero Performance rubber. It’s another (loose) link back to the racing car, as that used Pirelli tyres. The Bulldog racing Edition keeps the standard 205/45 R17 profile, and looks really good for it, the visual attitude coming from how the car sits on its suspension rather than having an arch filled of heavy alloy wheel.
The BRE will further be distinguished by a Bulldog Racing roof decor foil, as well as a limited edition badge. There’s also going to be a document to say when the suspension was set up on the Nordschleife (plus 10 nerd points there, for sure), and what are being called ‘other discreet features’. Tell us if you spot them.
Pretty cool, right? The fast Mini feels to have fallen out of favour somewhat of late, so it’s pleasing to have something proper return with a bit of motorsport kudos on top. There’s good news and bad news when it comes to availability. The bad is that this is a race team build, so getting one won’t be as easy as popping down to your local dealer and placing an order. Guarantees exclusivity, at least - interested parties are invited to email Bulldog. The good news is that the Edition upgrades are being offered as a package for existing F56 JCWs; it doesn’t have to be a new car, and an exact amount to be produced hasn’t been announced. Hardly the easiest tuning job in the world, but a nice opportunity to have. This green one looks perfect for an overhaul, and you could recoup some of the cost by selling on the standard wheels (not to put ideas in anyone’s head). And Bulldog is based in Nurburg, which could be one heck of a test drive in a rejuvenated JCW. See you at the tourist day.
Although lets not be greedy here 275bhp would suffice as someone mentioned above. It would have made a decent GP3, closer following the formula of the GP2.
As it is it is very reminiscent of the JCW Challenge, only that kept the back seats.
If you’re going to compromise on 2 seats, don’t compromise on a chassis designed for the school run, choose one that was designed to be a sports car from the ground up.
If you’re going to compromise on 2 seats, don’t compromise on a chassis designed for the school run, choose one that was designed to be a sports car from the ground up.
At some point in the future I might possibly buy a ground-up sports car, but I wouldn’t be selling my GP1 for it
If you’re going to compromise on 2 seats, don’t compromise on a chassis designed for the school run, choose one that was designed to be a sports car from the ground up.
At some point in the future I might possibly buy a ground-up sports car, but I wouldn’t be selling my GP1 for it
.
So I removed the fronts instead & replaced them with Lotus Evora recaro seats.
This one isn’t too compromised in the chassis department either, with upgrades to front and rear roll-bars and bilstien B16 PSS10 coilovers with GP2 camber, Brakes and Strutbrace,
Back on topic, I Also have a set of kw V3 sat on my garage floor for my f56- just not got round to fitting them yet, so would be interested in seeing what the “recommended” set-up is.
Minis “need” taller 215/45/17 tyres & if you’re reducing suspension travel with coil-overs even more so, I also would go with mini challenge or BBS wheels, both are lighter and available in 17 x 7.5.
Mini will also sell you a carbon fibre gear knob if you’re into shedding even more weight.
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