PressClub United Kingdom · Article.
New FIA Formula E Safety Car from BMW Group made its debut at Rome E-Prix: the MINI Electric Pacesetter inspired by JCW.
Wed Apr 14 12:00:00 CEST 2021 Press Release
As ‘Official Vehicle Partner’, BMW Group has been closely linked with the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship since the very first race around seven years ago. Since the Rome E-Prix (ITA) at the weekend, a new FIA Formula E safety car leads the field: the MINI Electric Pacesetter inspired by JCW.
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BMW Group
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Author.
Helen Wilson
BMW Group
As ‘Official Vehicle Partner’, BMW Group has been closely
linked with the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship since the very
first race around seven years ago. Since the Rome E-Prix (ITA) at
the weekend, a new FIA Formula E safety car leads the field: the
MINI Electric Pacesetter inspired by JCW. The fully electric car was
designed by BMW Motorsport with racing technology, making it
perfectly suited to the special requirements of a FIA Formula E
safety car. FIA President Jean Todt and the official FIA Formula E
safety car driver Bruno Correia (POR) were among those won over at
the race weekend with plenty of safety car action.
“The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is the top
electric racing series as well as an efficient way to promote urban
sustainable mobility,” said Todt. “The new Official Safety Car - the
MINI Electric Pacesetter - is a case in point. As safety is one of the
FIA's top priorities, we’ve collaborated with BMW Group and Formula E
to develop a car model to play this key role. I have had the pleasure
to test it in Rome last weekend and its first outing has met the
expectations. It has reminded me of nice memories as I started to
compete in Rally in a Mini Cooper.“
In light of adverse
weather conditions and turbulent races with several incidents, the new
FIA Formula E safety car was called into action four times on its
debut in Rome. Both races were started behind the MINI Electric
Pacesetter inspired by JCW, and the race on Saturday ended behind the
safety car after incidents shortly before the finish. The incidents
gave Correia plenty of opportunities to get to know the
car.
“It is fantastic to have a fully electric car leading
the Formula E field,” said Correia. “The MINI Electric Pacesetter is
perfect for the narrow street circuits of the ABB FIA Formula E World
Championship. The handling of the car is fantastic. And thanks to the
modifications for use on the racetrack – for example, the suspension
and the brakes – the MINI is extremely fast and
agile.”
The positive verdict of former racing driver
Correia is a great description of the unique character of the MINI
Electric Pacesetter inspired by JCW. In this instance, BMW Motorsport
did not convert an existing road vehicle into the FIA Formula E Safety
Car. Instead, the engineers used the new MINI Electric (combined
fuel consumption: 0.0 l/100 km; combined energy consumption: 17.6 –
15.2 kWh/100 km according to WLTP, 16.1 – 14.9 kWh/100 km according
to NEFZ, combined CO2 emissions: 0 g/km) as a basis to design a
totally new safety car.
“We approached the project both in
terms of safety and handling as if we were building a racing car, and
started with the body in white of the MINI Electric,” described Rudolf
Dittrich, head of vehicle development at BMW Motorsport. “The result
is a car that sets standards in braking power, cornering performance
and agility. And it is precisely these areas that are crucial on the
narrow street circuits in Formula E.”
In addition to the
body in white, the powertrain is another component taken from the
production vehicle. Only details were modified to meet the specific
requirements of a safety car, and it yields 135 kW of power and 280 Nm
of torque. This sees the MINI Electric Pacesetter inspired by JCW
sprint from 0-62mph in 6.7 seconds (production: 7.3 sec.), from
0-60mph in 3.6 sec. (production: 3.9 sec.) and from 80-120 mph in 4.3
sec. (production: 4.6 sec.).
The brakes are largely
identical in construction to those of the MINI John Cooper Works
GP (combined fuel consumption: 7.3 l/100 km, combined CO2
emissions: 167 g/km). For the chassis, the basic concept was
adopted from production; however, numerous components - for example,
the spring damper system - were replaced with motorsport elements. A
totally new feature is the Kevlar underride guard familiar from
rallying, which primarily protects the battery when driving roughly
over kerbs. The size, profile and rubber compound of the tyres have
also been modified for use as a safety car.
Through the
consistent use of carbon and CFRP in the construction of the specific
bodywork modifications - some of which were even produced using 3D
printing - the BMW Motorsport engineers were able to achieve a weight
reduction of 130 kg compared with the production MINI Electric, and
thus an unladen weight of around 1,230 kg. The safety car contains all
the modules required by the FIA for passive safety. In the interior,
the driver has all the required systems such as radio, GPS,
transponder and the control panels for the lighting
system.
Alongside the MINI Electric Pacesetter inspired by
JCW, the BMW i8 Roadster Safety Car (fuel consumption (combined): 2.0
l /100 km; energy use (combined): 14.5 kWh /100 km; combined CO2
emissions: 46 g/km)*, which has been modified specially for racing
use, will continue to be appearing as Formula E safety car. The fleet
also includes the BMW i3s (Power consumption in kWh/100: 14.6-14.0
(NEDC); 16.6-16.3 (WLTP), electric range in km: 278-283
(WLTP))* as ‘Race Director Car’ and the BMW iX3 (Power consumption
in kWh/100: 17.8-17.5 (NEDC); 19.0-18.6 (WLTP), electric range in
km: 450-458 (WLTP))* in its roles as ‘Medical Car’ and ‘Rescue
Car’.
Click HERE
for more information about the MINI Electric Pacesetter inspired by JCW.
ENDS
The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI,
Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading
premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides
premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production
network comprises 31 production and assembly facilities in 15
countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
In 2020, the BMW Group sold over 2.3 million passenger vehicles
and more than 169,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in
the financial year 2020 was € 5.222 billion on revenues amounting to €
98.990 billion. As of 31 December 2020, the BMW Group had a workforce
of 120,726 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term
thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the
future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and
efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from
the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products.
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