Taking on the infamous
Nürburgring-Nordschleife circuit at race speed with an electrically
powered car is an ambitious project, but the BMW Group has just become
the first car manufacturer to make it happen. Today the MINI E Race, a
modified race-spec version of the standard MINI E, completed a lap of
the legendary 20.8 km "Green Hell" in a time of 09:51.45 minutes. The
MINI E Race hit a top speed of 187 km/h.
"The length and profile of the
Nordschleife place extreme demands on the technology of our electric
car. But the MINI E Race met this considerable challenge with great
authority," said the BMW Group's Peter Krams, who headed up the project.
"The aim of this unique undertaking was to provide an impressive
showcase of the great potential of the MINI E and its
environment-friendly drive concept."
At the wheel of the electric racer for
the hot lap was former DTM racing driver Thomas Jäger from Munich. "I've
driven this circuit many times, but never in such an extraordinary car,"
said Jäger, the MINI Challenge champion in 2006. "The power of the
electric motor has an incredible effect, as you can access its full
reserves of torque at all times. Another element of this fascinating
experience is the lack of noise from the drivetrain. All in all, that
was certainly the cleanest and quietest race lap I've ever driven."
Extensive preparations had to be
completed before the car could roll out onto the
Nürburgring-Nordschleife. The MINI E Race was fitted with a special
lightweight body and a roll cage in order to ensure optimum performance
and safety on the track. And various other components, such as the
suspension, brakes and tyres, are also race specification. Other than
that, however, the car relies almost exclusively on the standard
technical make-up of the MINI E. For example, it shares the same 150
kW/204 hp electric motor, supplied with energy from 5,088 lithium-ion
battery cells. The control electronics and the software were
reprogrammed to achieve an optimal driving performance for the
Nordschleife. The power from the emission-free motor is channelled to
the front wheels via a single-stage helical gearbox with a lengthened
gear ratio.
MINI E Race conversions:
Interior
Recaro Pro Racer (HANS) CFRP seat, 6-way
safety harness (3-inch), suede leather steering wheel 320 mm diameter
Roll cage
Bolt construction (lightweight) CrMo4,
approx. 35 kg incl. mounting materials
