Racing MIMI

To date MIMI is active in 3 championships (hill climb, super rally city racing, auto slalom), most successful being in auto slalom, where the car has outclassed constantly electric American sedan cars with even 3 times the power.

MIMI is not only a first for the brand racing history, but also one of the few racing cars that was developed on a series production electric car with minor modifications. The car is using the same 135 kW/ 184 HP engine, and the same CATL battery. Since late 2021, MIMI is being further developed by one of the leading Romanian racing workshops, Engage Engineering.

Racing MINI is the only electric racing car developed on a series production race car with ISO independent certification for CO2 footprint:
https://www.bmwgroup.com/content/dam/grpw/websites/bmwgroup_com/responsibility/downloads/en/2020/Environmental-report_MINI-Cooper-SE.pdf

MIMI EVO main modifications:
- FIA homologated safety features: homologated roll cage, seat and 6 point seat belts.
- Extensive weight reduction measures (estimated 200 kg), including fiberglass doors and doors windows.
- Custom built front limited slip differential by Drexler Automotive in cooperation with Engage Engineering on the base of BMW i3s, with higher gear ratio.
- MINI JCW Brembo brakes with custom built race pump and adjustable braking ratio.
- Mechanical handbrake.
- Extensive custom cooling to support high power delivery.
- KW variant 3 MINI Cooper SE dedicated suspension.
- Completely rebuilt interior, race detachable steering wheel and electric system temperature monitoring.
- Deactivation of all active safety features, including ABS.
- No regenerative braking.

Electric racing is different
Low maintenance racing: in over 2 years, 30 races and almost two weeks of tack days (media and events) Racing MIMI required minimum maintenance. Repairs and maintenance up to now: engine mounts, minor body repairs and brake pads changed early 2022, together with new JCW braking system.

Main challenge – overheating: In extreme hill climb racing conditions, we can discharge 25% of battery capacity in under 4 minutes/ little over 5 km).

Our heroes
3 championships in 2022, an extensive number of racing drivers, including on race guest drivers:

-Andrei Barbu, automotive journalist and TV presenter, racing driver for National Hill Climb Championship. He was the first driver that used MIMI in an official race.

-Horia Platona, leading race engineer and development, racing in auto slalom and Super Rally races.

-Anya Gherghina, the women power in the project, organizer and coordinator of the team, responsible for communication and partner communication, preparing to race in “Woma Rally“ auto slalom championship.

Special events
MIMI is more than a racing hero. Besides national MINI and BMW i client events, the car was the hero of several media projects and several major events. The roof of MIMI is featuring art works by young Romanian artists presented in cooperation with Galateca Art Gallery in Bucharest. Current art work, “Quiet” has in a representation of a jungle full of life and is dedicated to the beauty and diversity of nature. The project is created by Bogdan Cazacincu.
Brand Minds.

MIMI took the center stage at one of the biggest business conferences in Central and Southeastern Europe. Brand Minds welcomed 6000 participants attended key notes by international famous speakers such as Gary Vaynerchuk, Jordan Peterson or Gabor Mate. Here MIMI was presented in the biggest laser installation in Romania with an unique race track built from lasers.

TEDx Conference. On 17th of september the story of Racing MIMI will be presented at a TEDx event in Bucharest.

About Engage Engineering
Engage Engineering is one of the leading racing workshops of Romania. Horia Platona is coordinating a team of young and enthusiastic engineers. Most started their racing adventure as member of Formula Student Team Transylvania University, the most established Formula Student project in Romania. Engage Engineering has already a strong portfolio of wining racing cars in Romanian motorsport, setting up the car that set ALL the track records in Romanian hill climb, as well as the wining car in the Romanian Endurance Championship. Next to developing the MIMI EVO for 2022, the team is working for building a competitive project for Dakar 2024-2025.

A history in numbers
In hill climb, MIMI has used special race numbers, as a reference to the valuable Mini race history. In 2020 and 2021 MIMI used #37, the number of the first Mini team at Monte Carlo, in 1964, with Patrick (“Paddy”) Hopkirk and Henry Liddon.

For the 2022, Andrei return at the wheel of MIMI using number #128. It is a reference to Niki Lauda, that started his racing career with a Mini. Lauda was only 18 when, without the parents knowing, entered a secretly bought Mini Cooper S in an Austrian hill climb championship race, at Bad Mühllacken, on 15^th of April, 1968. He entered the car under the name “N. A. Lauders” and received the number #128. Lauda had a new engine installed on the car and received the instruction to keep a lower pace for the first leg, where he finished 3^rd in class in a highly competitive group. As everything worked well, he was allowed to push and finished 1^st in the second leg, allowing him a 2^nd overall class ranking at his first race debut. The next 3 hill climb stages he won with ever stronger margin, with the last one taking place in rain. Afterwards, Lauda upgraded for a stronger car. He finished his first ever racing season with 8 wins, one second place and one DNF.

Racing MIMI partners
Renovatio e-charge – the biggest electric car charge network in Romania.UnicreditLeasing – finance partner for BMW and MINI Financial Services.

Michelin – our tire provider.

W przypadku pytań prosimy o   kontakt:

Hubert Fronczak

BMW Group Polska

Telefon: +728 874 121

E-Mail: hubert.fronczak@bmw.pl