Since its birth in 1959, MINI has had a strong connection with sports and racing. Now, the essence of sports that MINI embodies in competitions is perfectly inherited by the high-performance sub-brand John Cooper Works, giving a purer sense of joy in driving. At the just-concluded 2024 Nurburgring 24-hour endurance race, the all-new generation of MINI John Cooper Works made its debut with outstanding performance, showcasing the brand’s absolute athleticism and innovation with a victory in its first race.
The Nurburgring 24-hour endurance race is the most prestigious event in the global racing world. It is renowned for being the longest track in the world, consisting of the Nordschleife and Grand Prix circuits, with a total length of 25.378 kilometers and over 170 different corners. The track is challenging, with elevation changes reaching up to 300 meters, making it one of the most challenging endurance races worldwide.
Known as the “Green Hell”, the Nürburgring circuit is a tough test for drivers and vehicles. The 52nd Nürburgring 24-hour endurance race attracted over 450 drivers from more than 30 countries and 130 cars in 23 different categories. The new MINI John Cooper Works Pro competed fiercely in the SP 3T category, winning the championship with a lap time of 10:06, showcasing its outstanding performance. The new MINI John Cooper Works Pro, car number 317, made its debut at the Nürburgring 24-hour endurance race, paying tribute to MINI’s racing genes with every detail. The custom “battle attire” was inspired by the classic red and white livery of the 1960s, with the prominent number “37” on the side windows and hood recalling the milestone achievements of the Mini Cooper S in the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally.
In last year’s Nurburgring 24-hour endurance race, car number 474 MINI John Cooper Works dominated in the VT-2 class, proving its strong performance. This year, the same car competed again and achieved an impressive third place in the VT-2 class. Both MINI race cars are manufactured in Oxford, UK, then meticulously tuned by Bulldog Racing at the Nurburgring Nordschleife, combining professional driving skills with MINI’s outstanding performance on the track. Expanding its product lineup, John Cooper Works will continue the MINI brand’s sporting legend in various power forms. “John Cooper Works” has become the most powerful symbol in MINI’s development history, innovating in tradition and embodying the spirit of breaking limits in racing. Since the introduction of the John Cooper Works brand in China in 2013, sales have increased fivefold in over a decade. The MINI John Cooper Works three-door version accounts for over 63% of all MINI John Cooper Works models sold, making it the most popular high-performance MINI model among Chinese users.
The car that participated in the Nurburgring 24-hour endurance race was based on the upgraded new generation MINI John Cooper Works three-door model. The highly anticipated new MINI John Cooper Works will debut globally in the fall of 2024, offering both fuel and electric power options, with innovative technologies to enhance acceleration and agility, continuing to deliver exciting performance to users and uphold MINI’s essence in the racing field. MINI has always been known for its toughness. At the Nurburgring 24-hour endurance race, the new MINI John Cooper Works Pro car dominated the track, once again proving the high-performance capabilities of MINI John Cooper Works to the world. The upcoming new MINI John Cooper Works will further elevate its sporting performance with advanced electric drive technology and MINI TwinPower Turbo technology, enabling it to confidently tackle track challenges and showcase MINI’s racing talent and ultimate pursuit of kart-like driving pleasure with absolute strength.