What's all this about?
It's MINI's latest contender in the gruelling motorsport arena of rally-raid, and it's called the John Cooper Works Rally. As you can see, it's based on a Countryman and it's a serious bit of kit.
Oh yeah, what is its make-up, then?
The body is made out of carbon fibre and Kevlar for lightness and toughness, although the JCW Rally still clocks in at a beefy 1,952kg. There's a tubular spaceframe chassis underneath, a front subframe that is removable to allow the engine to be dropped out in little more than an hour, and a clever system that houses three spare wheels with tyres fitted in the undertray. Aerodynamics have been honed to make it quicker flat out and more fuel efficient, while there's a super-cool air intake located on the roof. It also sports a new livery, alloy wheels that come from the JCW accessories catalogue and an interior that's been overhauled with three discrete display screen areas.
Right, but what's powering it?
A BMW TwinPower Turbo 3.0-litre six-pot diesel unit, rated at 340hp at 3,250rpm and 800Nm at 1,850rpm. That's with a regulatory 38mm air restrictor in place and with the whole caboodle breathing out through an Akrapovic exhaust. Top speed is what looks to be a modest 115mph, although on the sort of terrain the MINI will be encountering, 115mph would prove to be terrifying to most mortals.
There's Reiger Racing suspension underneath, with 250mm of wheel travel built in, six-piston calipers (air- and water-cooled at the rear) all round gripping 320mm vented steel discs, a six-speed Sadev sequential gearbox with an AP Racing clutch channelling drive to all four wheels and Xtrac/Sadev lockable diffs front, centre and rear. Oh, and somehow, a 385-litre fuel tank has been crammed into the shell, to give the JCW Rally some proper racing range.
Sounds like a tasty piece of kit. Which series will it compete in?
The 2017 editions of the Daka
17 Nov 2016