2017 Mini John Cooper Works Dakkar Rally
Mini has unveiled its 2017 Mini John Cooper
Works Rally, set to compete next year in a number of long-distance rallies
starting with the famed Dakar.
The vehicle is based around the Countryman and has
been co-developed by Mini alongside its motorsport partner X-raid and is a
completely new racing car compared to the outgoing model. Alongside the Dakar,
it aims to complete in the Silk Way Rally in 2017.
Powering the Mini John Cooper Works Rally is a
turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder diesel engine from BMW modified to offer up
340 hp at 3,250 rpm and most impressively, 800 Nm of torque at 1,850 rpm. Mini
says that the powertrain has been optimized by a new engine management system
to reduce fuel consumption while still retaining its power at high altitude.
The racer includes a six-speed
gearbox from Sadev, an AP Racing clutch, lockable and oil-cooled front and rear
differentials with a Sadev centrifugal diff. There’s also an exhaust system
from Akrapovic.
Some of these upgrades include a larger roof-integrated air intake and
a honeycomb structure of carbon fiber and Kevlar on the underside of the vehicle.
The underside also includes three spare wheels and two hydraulic lifts which
can be operated from the cockpit.
The new Mini John
Cooper Works Rally has been fitted with a system from Reiger Racing Suspension
which incorporates two fully adjustable dampers on each wheel with a maximum
travel of 250 mm each. There’s also six-piston brake calipers clamping down on
ventilated, 320 mm steel discs.
