Mini has revealed its Pacesetter, a powerful and track-specific version of the Mini electric that will shoulder the duties of a safety car in Formula E at select races. The Pacesetter is based on the same platform as the standard electric and also shares the powertrain, although, the Pacesetter’s gym trainer, the BMW Motorsport arm has made the Pacesetter cut on carbs and put it on the diet and hence, the Pacesetter is lighter than the standard electric by a whopping 130 kilos. The Pacesetter weighs 1230 kilos only and will debut as a safety car in Rome on 10th April 2021.
More details –
The Mini Electric Pacesetter has a few tweaks on the outside and the inside over the standard electric. Flared wheel arches and a rear wing make it look more track-ready, all set to lead a bunch of high-performance electric race cars.
Furthermore, the track of the Pacesetter is increased by 10mm and features a 3-way-adjustable racing coil-over suspension and a set of 18” Michelin Pilot Sport all-weather tyres which are also used on either side of the front axle on the Formula E cars. Also, the Pacesetter gets race-spec control arm mounts and mega 4-piston brakes from Mini JCW GP.
The interior too has been stripped off of all the unwanted bits. The cabin houses a pair of race seats, the necessary controls and a roll cage which BMW says offers great protection. Quite a significant bit of the interior is reportedly 3-D printed.
The significant weight loss occurred as aforementioned helps improve the acceleration times of the Pacesetter. It hits 100 km/hr on the speedo from a standstill in 6.7 seconds now as against 7.3 seconds on the standard electric, an appreciable difference of 6-tenths of a second. The powertrain is the same as standard hence the peak output figures are the same 181HP and 280Nm.
13 teams compete for top honours in Formula E and a total of 24 drivers fight for the championship. One notable mention amongst all those for us Indians is Mahindra Racing, which is the only team on the list that is followed by the Tricolour to indicate its origin and is a proud mention for all Indian enthusiasts.
Official statement –
Formula E chief executive officer Jamie Reigle said: “Formula E and MINI are both known for being original, unpredictable and accessible to everyone. We share a progressive global mindset and are committed to an all-electric future. We look forward to watching MINI lead the way through the streets of Formula E’s iconic host cities, demonstrating the dynamic performance and urban appeal of all-electric vehicles.”