“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.“

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 Cooper SE (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.

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 0-100 km/h in 6.7 seconds (production: 7.3 sec.), from 0-60 km/h in 3.6 sec. (production: 3.9 sec.) and from 80-120 km/h 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, and which primarily protects the battery of the MINI Electric Pacesetter inspired by JCW 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 around 130 kg compared with the production model, 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.

*Official data on power consumption and electric range were determined in accordance with the mandatory measurement procedure and comply with Regulation (EU) 715/2007 valid at the time of type approval. In case of a range, figures in the NEDC take into account differences in the selected wheel and tire size; figures in the WLTP take into account any optional equipment. WLTP values are used for assessing taxes and other vehicle-related charges that are (also) based on CO2 emissions, as well as for the purposes of vehicle-specific subsidies, if applicable. Where applicable, the NEDC values listed were calculated based on the new WLTP measurement procedure and then converted back to the NEDC measurement procedure for comparability reasons. For more information on the WLTP and NEDC measurement procedures, see www.bmw.de/wltp.
For further information about the official fuel consumption and the specific CO2 emission of new passenger cars can be taken out of the ‘handbook of fuel consumption, the CO2 emission and power consumption of new passenger cars’, which is available at all selling points and at https://www.dat.de/angebote/verlagsprodukte/leitfadenkraftstoffverbrauch.
html.