MINI is currently thinking about launching a comprehensive electric racing program of its own. The company would like to put its definitory traits on display in motorsport. Timing, however, might be a key factor in making this initiative happen. Until MINI figures out when it's the right moment to start promoting its zero-tailpipe emission venture into the challenging world of competitive racing, here's an example that shows it can be done without dumping millions into development.
MINI has been a serious contender in motorsport for over 60 years, long before BMW even thought about making the iconic British brand its own. The brand's racing pedigree started with the Cooper Car Company. Back in the early '60s, the hopeful automaker scored important wins in Formula 3, Formula 2, and, you better believe it, Formula 1! Yes, it put the Italians, who dominated racing on multiple levels back then, on notice.
Later, John Cooper helped the well-known little people-mover to win the Monte Carlo Rally, the Gallaher 500 Race at Bathurst, and the European Touring Car Championship. All those major victories helped MINI to become very popular. Over two million units were sold globally by 1969, and people loved their cute workhorses that occupied less space and did more.
Today, that pioneering racing spirit continues to live on with the electrified MINI models. However, all the work it takes to win is not happening in the UK or Germany. The thirst for conquering new heights is happening in Romania!
We told you about it last year when the cute all-electric unit received a plethora of upgrades thanks to Engage Engineering's dedication to turning the funky two-door hatchback into a silent menace.
Now simply called Racing MIMI, the vehicle brings the team an important confirmation that they are on the right path. After a three-year effort to create an EV capable of keeping up with seasoned and purpose-built internal combustion engine-powered racers, the modified MINI Cooper SE bested others in its class. It won Romania's Super Rally Championship in the front-wheel drive category.
Photo: BMW Romania
The victory marks an important step for Racing MIMI because it allows the team behind the project to showcase what they have been working on for the past 36 months. The last leg of the six-stage Super Rally happened in Bucharest on a wet day, making the racing driver's plans increasingly complicated.
But Horia Platana maintained his composure and scored one more point than the runner-up. That was enough to put the MINI at the top!
Saved from a doomed fate and a result of multiple collaborations, this MINI Cooper SE received a new lease on life and got turned into a serious motorsport contender because stubborn and passionate people refused to let it go to waste. It now features a redesigned limited-slip differential and new cooling systems that allow the driver to push the car without worrying about overheating the battery or other internals.
The unit has also been put through a weight loss program that enables better performance.
If MINI is going ahead with its official all-electric racing program, it now has a great source of knowledge that it can tap. This courageous project showed that nothing is impossible when people work together and believe in an ideal.
Finally, Engage Engineering didn't mess with the stock drivetrain. The unit still puts out 184 hp tops, and the high-voltage energy storage unit is the same one that originally came with the car.
Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one. Full profile
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